Kendall County Sheriff's Office Urges Safe Holiday Driving

From Kendall County Sheriff: With holiday festivities rapidly approaching, the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office announces that it will participate in a national enforcement campaign to crack down on impaired and unbuckled drivers from Dec. 16 through Jan. 2. “While Christmas and New Year’s parties can be part of the holiday season celebrations, we urge our resident’s to remember to plan ahead and set up a sober ride or overnight accommodations.” said Sheriff Dwight Baird. “If your celebration will involve alcohol, please be a responsible adult and plan ahead for a sober ride home and remember to wear seatbelts. Keep yourself, your family and everyone else safe”.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 839 people lost their lives in traffic crashes involving a drunk driver last December. Throughout the 2018 Christmas and New Year’s holidays alone, there were 285 drunk-driving related fatalities – more than any other time that year. Keep these tips in mind to help ensure a safe and joyful holiday season:  Before you head to the party, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation or a ride sharing service to get home safely.  If available, use your community’s sober ride program.  If you see an impaired driver on the road, pull over and call 9-1-1.  Have a friend who is about to drive impaired? Take their keys and help them get home safely.  Always buckle up! The Illinois “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign is administered and funded by the Illinois Department of Transportation with federal highway safety funds managed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

This press release was produced by Kendall County Sheriff. The views are the author's own.