Traffic Detail Gets Underway In Crystal Lake

CRYSTAL LAKE, IL — A holiday safety traffic campaign is getting underway in Crystal Lake this Friday.

The Crystal Lake Police Department is teaming up with the Illinois Department of Transportation to spread the word about the dangers of impaired driving with a “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” and “Drive High, Get a DUI” enforcement campaign.

From December 12 through January 5, law enforcement agencies across Illinois will show zero tolerance for alcohol- and drug-impaired driving as a way to keep roads safe and help ensure a happy holiday season, according to a news release from the police department.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System, in the United States in 2023, 12,419 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driver.

On average, more than 11,000 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes each year from 2017 to 2023. In 2023, one person was killed in a drunk-driving crash approximately every 42 minutes.

These fatalities are preventable, and drivers must remember that driving impaired — by alcohol, cannabis, or any other substance, whether legal or not — is potentially deadly and illegal behavior.
If you will be celebrating with drinks or other impairing substances, make a plan for a safe
ride home before you leave for the party, police said.

The holiday enforcement campaign is administered by IDOT with federal highway safety funds managed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.