DUI Crackdown Leads to Several Seat Belt Tickets

EVANSTON, IL - The city of Evanston’s participation in the national ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ drunk driving enforcement campaign netted several citations for other offenses, but only two for DUIs.

During the campaign, which ran from Dec. 18 to Jan. 3, 38 seat belt related citations were issued, 21 distracted driving/cell phone citations, three for illegal transportation of open alcohol, four for driving with a suspended license, one for driving with no license, 14 for speeding, nine to uninsured motorists and one for underage consumption of alcohol.

Two cannabis released incidents were uncovered and one warrant arrest was made.

A warning issued to the community about the crackdown was vital in saving lives, according to police.

“What should be a merry and joyful time of year gets overshadowed by drunk driving, time and time again. We gave Evanston drivers plenty of warning that we’d be stopping drunk drivers, and we did just that,” said Evanston Police Sergeant Tracy Williams, Traffic Unit Supervisor. “Drunk driving is a reckless, 100% preventable crime and one that leads to disaster.”