Oak Lawn Cops Put Thanksgiving Holiday Boozers on Notice With DUI Crackdown

OAK LAWN, IL -- The Oak Lawn Police Department is putting holiday boozers on notice by stepping up DUI enforcement patrols for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. The police crackdown on drunk drivers is now in force through Nov. 28, as part of the annual Illinois “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign.

Police will be aggressively looking for drunk drivers during the Thanksgiving crackdown and will arrest anyone caught driving drunk. In addition, officers will be ticketing front and back seat belt violators.

“You’ll see us making lots of stops during this highly visible enforcement period and our officers will show zero tolerance for drunk driving,” said Sgt. M. Acke, traffic unit supervisor for the Oak Lawn Police Department. “Oak Lawn Police are prepared to stop and arrest any drunk driver they see to keep roads safe.”

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The Thanksgiving holiday is considered one of the most dangerous holiday periods for drunk driving. Sgt. Acke noted that being arrested for driving drunk brings a wide range of negative consequences into one’s life. Drunk drivers face jail time, loss of their driver’s licenses, and steep financial consequences, such as higher insurance rates, attorney fees, court costs, lost time at work, and the potential loss of a job. When family, friends and co-workers find out, violators also often face tremendous personal embarrassment.

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In addition, party hosts can also be held civilly and criminally liable for over serving guests, who leave their homes and end up in an accident due to drunk driving.

"We are going to keep our roads safe for travelers heading to visit friends and family,” Sgt. Acke said. “This holiday, we will show zero tolerance for drunk drivers on the road. If you choose to drive drunk, we will see you, we will stop you and we will arrest you.”

This law enforcement crackdown is funded by federal traffic safety funds through the Illinois Department of Transportation.