Buffalo Grove Police Ramp Up Impaired Driving Enforcement For Holidays

BUFFALO GROVE, IL — As the holiday season continues, law enforcement agencies across the state will be ramping up efforts to curtail impaired driving. Starting Friday, the Buffalo Grove Police Department is partnering up with the Illinois Department of Transportation for the high visibility "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" and "Drive High. Get a DUI" traffic safety campaigns. The campaigns run through Jan. 2, 2023.

In 2020, a total of 11,654 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driver, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System. On average, more than 10,000 people were killed each year from 2016 to 2020, with one person killed in an alcohol-related crash every 45 minutes in 2020.

As the holiday fun begins, Buffalo Grove police are asking residents to make a plan for a sober ride home and remember these tips:

• Designate a sober driver or make a plan to use public transportation or a ride-sharing service to get home safely.
• If you see an impaired driver on the road, pull over and call 911.
• Have a friend who is about to drive impaired? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get them home safely. They will thank you later.
• Always buckle up.

The holiday enforcement campaign is administered by IDOT with federal highway safety funds managed by NHTSA.