Oak Lawn Police Put Thanksgiving Weekend Revelers On Notice

OAK LAWN, IL – The Oak Lawn Police Department is participating in Illinois’s Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over and Click It Or Ticket road safety campaigns. From now until the early hours of Nov. 30, police will be stepping up patrols to ensure that everyone gets to the Thanksgiving table safely.

“On regular days and holidays alike, law enforcement too often see the results of driving impaired and not wearing a seat belt,” said Sgt. M. Acke, of the Oak Lawn Police Department. “They are both tragic and preventable. Whether you’re driving cross-country or across the street, please remember to wear your seat belt and make a plan for a sober ride home.”

Motorists and their passengers can expect a ticket from Oak Lawn Police if they are spotted without a seat belt or with an unbuckled child in their vehicle. Motorists are also on notice that driving after drinking or using drugs or other impairing substances will not be tolerated. Stepped-up patrols including will be seen throughout Oak Lawn and the state.

Throughout the year, many traffic deaths and injuries could be prevented with the click of a seat belt or the choice to designate a sober driver. More than 30 percent of motor vehicle crash fatalities in Illinois involve an alcohol-impaired driver, and data shows drug-involved driving is on the rise. Further, unbuckled occupants make up a disproportionately large number of fatalities, representing more than 50 percent of people killed in motor vehicle crashes, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.

While the CDC has advised people to stay home during the Thanksgiving holiday and Illinois has issued a stay-at-home advisory, CNN reports over 3 million people have already traversed through the nation’s airports.

The Thanksgiving enforcement effort is made possible by federal traffic safety funds administered by IDOT as part of the statewide Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over and Click It or Ticket campaigns.