Oswego Police to Crackdown on Drunk Drivers Over Holidays

OSWEGO, IL — Oswego Police are participating this holiday season in the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) special year-end Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over and Click It or Ticket enforcement campaign. Beginning Dec. 16 and continuing into the New Year, motorists will see stepped-up enforcement to watch for anyone who is driving impaired, distracted or without a seat belt.

Too often, drivers take to the roads after drinking at holiday celebrations. Data shows the decision to drive while impaired can have serious and sometimes deadly consequences. In 2015, 35,092 people in the United States were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes. 29 percent (10,265) died in crashes where the driver had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) over the limit of .08. 2015 also saw 914 fatal crashes resulting in 998 fatalities.

Nearly one in four fatalities involved an occupant either not wearing, or incorrectly using a seatbelt. Drunk or drug-impaired driving offenders often serve jail time, lose their driver’s license, are charged higher insurance rates and pay dozens of other unanticipated expenses ranging from attorney fees, court costs, car towing and repairs, and lost wages. The ultimate cost of driving impaired, however, is causing a traffic crash resulting in a death or injury.

Follow these tips to stay safe on the road this holiday season:

● If you will be drinking, plan on not driving. Arrange for a safe ride home or a designated driver.

● If you become intoxicated or impaired, do not drive for any reason. Call a taxi, a sober friend or family member for a ride, or use public transportation.

● If someone you know has been drinking, do not let that person get behind the wheel. Take their keys, take them home or help them arrange a safe way home.

● If you see an impaired driver on the road, call 911. Your actions could help save someone’s life.

● Buckle your seat belt, regardless of where you are seated. By law, all occupants, in all seating positions, must wear their seat belt.

photo via Shutterstuck