The Grayslake Police Department announced its late-night plans for the July 4th holiday by focusing on the deadliest time of day for motor vehicle fatalities.
The intensified enforcement effort will focus mainly on late-night hours beginning on Friday June 28, 2013 and will run through July 7, 2013. Statistics show a disproportionate number of traffic deaths occur late at night and involve a drinking driver and/or unbuckled motorist.
According to data from the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), the late night hours during the summer months in Illinois is the deadliest time for alcohol-involved motor vehicle crashes. Nationally in 2010, 9,878 people were killed in U.S. highway crashes involving a driver with an illegal BAC of 0.08 or higher, according to the NHTSA statistics.
In Illinois, data shows during the 4th of July weekend in 2011, 13 people lost their lives in motor vehicle crashes and 9 of those fatalities involved an intoxicated driver. In addition to the 13 fatalities, 875 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes during the same weekend.
Numbers do not lie; the night time is the critical time for motor vehicle fatalities. In order to help combat this trend, the Grayslake Police Department will be stepping up late night enforcement activities to help ensure impaired drivers are off the road and motorists are buckled up.
It is recommended that a sober driver is designated and to avoid letting friends or family drive impaired. In addition, other important tips include:
- Plan ahead. Designate a sober driver before going out and give that person your keys;
- If you are drunk, call a taxi, use mass transit, or call a sober friend or family member to get you home safely.
- Promptly report impaired drivers you see on the roadways to law enforcement by pulling over and dialing 911.
- Make sure everyone in your vehicle wears their safety belt. It is your best defense against an impaired driver.
The law enforcement crackdown is funded by federal traffic safety funds through IDOT’s Division of Traffic Safety. The crackdown runs concurrently with a media campaign that reminds motorists, “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” and “Click It or Ticket.”
Buckle Up and Stay Safe!
-The Grayslake Police Department provided this information.
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