Palatine Police Enforce Sober Holiday Driving And Seat Belt Use

PALATINE, IL — This holiday season, the Palatine Police Department is partnering with the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Illinois State Police and nearly 200 police and sheriff's departments across the state to get impaired drivers off the roads and help save lives during the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, according to a news release from Palatine police. The high-visibility enforcement campaign runs Dec. 16 through Jan. 2, during which law enforcement will show zero tolerance for drunk or drugged driving, according to the news release. Wherever you're celebrating, it's important to make the lifesaving choice to drive sober when the festivities end, police said.

During this period, Palatine police will work to save more lives by having extra uniformed officers on the streets conducting saturation patrols in an effort to identify and arrest impaired drivers, in addition to strictly enforcing speeding, cell phone and seat belt violations, according to the news release. Police add that it's the law in Illinois to wear your seat belt no matter where you're sitting inside a vehicle.

In addition, Palatine police will conduct a Roadside Safety Check beginning late Dec. 20 through the morning of Dec. 21 in the area of Algonquin and Roselle roads.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 12 a.m. to 3 a.m. is the deadliest time frame on Illinois roads, police said, as this is also the time frame of the lowest occupant restraint use involving motor vehicle deaths.

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, the news release said. Throughout the 2018 Christmas and New Year’s holidays alone, there were 285 drunk-driving-related fatalities — more than any other time that year, police added.

This is why the Palatine Police Department is committed to reminding drivers that impaired driving is not only illegal, it is a matter of life or death, the news release said, adding that alcohol-impaired driving isn’t the only risk on the road due to drug-impaired driving being on the rise.

Simply put, if drivers are impaired by any substance — whether alcohol or drugs — they should not get behind the wheel, police said

Authorities advise you to "Party with a Plan!"

If you plan to drink, plan for a sober driver to take you home, police said, adding that if it's your turn to be the designated driver, take that role seriously as your friends are relying on you:

• Remember, it’s never OK to drive impaired by drugs or alcohol.
• Designate a sober driver, use public transportation, use a ride share service, or opt to spend the night.
• If you see an impaired driver on the road, call 9-1-1.
• Have a friend who is about to drive impaired? Take the keys away and help them get home safely. They’ll thank you later.