Police Ratchet Up DUI, Seat Belt Enforcement for July 4 Weekend

If you drink and drive, you — and potentially someone else — stand to lose big. Similarly, failing to buckle up significantly raises your risk of serious injury or death in an accident.

That’s why area police departments are out in force during the holiday week as part of a sustained traffic enforcement program that runs through July 7, 2013.

St. Charles and Campton Hills police departments issued releases Friday about their participation in the Illinois Department of Transportation effort. Law enforcement at the municipal, county and state levels will be participating in the program.

The crackdown is part of the statewide, Independence Day “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” and “Click It or Ticket” effort, according to the releases.

Consequently, police are reminding motorists not to drink and drive, and urging drivers and their passengers to buckle up on that next trip, whether it’s around the block or around the region.

In Campton Hills, Police Chief Dan Hoffman said the department’s effort will focus on late-night hours, since statistics show a disproportionate number of traffic deaths occur late at night and involve a drunken driver and/or unbuckled motorist.

“Year in and year out, Independence Day is one of the deadliest holidays due to an increase in drunk-driving fatalities,” Hoffman said in his release. “Too many people die each year due to those who choose to drive after drinking, so our officers will be out in full force this Fourth of July showing zero tolerance for drunk drivers and belt law violators.”

Sustained traffic enforcement programs like this aim to reduce the incidence of crashes and the injuries and deaths they cause. The program uses increased, highly visible enforcement targeting seat belt use, impaired driving, speeding and pedestrian safety during national and state enforcement campaigns.  

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, seat belt use is the single most effective way to protect people and reduce fatalities in vehicle crashes. That’s why one of the goals of the initiative is focused on safety belts — which includes child safety seats and booster seats.

Research has shown that the proper use of lap and shoulder belts decrease by 45 percent the risk of fatal injury to front-seat occupants of passengers, and cuts the risk of moderate to serious injury by 50 percent.

But drunken driving accidents are another factor in accidents resulting in injuries and fatalities, and both departments urge residents not to drink and drive — and don’t let your friends or family members drive drunk, either.

Some tips to consider:

• Plan ahead. Designate a sober driver before going out and give that person your keys.

• If you are drunk, call a taxi, use mass transit or call a sober friend or family member to get you home safely.

The law enforcement crackdown is funded by federal traffic safety funds through IDOT’s Division of Traffic Safety.