Orland Park Police Remind Residents To Celebrate Holiday Safely

ORLAND PARK, IL — With Labor Day weekend approaching soon, the U.S. Department of transportation's National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration put out a reminder of the dangers of drinking and driving.

This year, The Orland Park Police Department is joining the NHSTA to spread the word about impaired driving dangers, and work together to eliminate drunk drivers from the road according to a news release.

The national enforcement campaign, "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over," runs from August 19 through September 7, 2020, according to the release.

During this time the Orland Park Police will administer a zero tolerance for drunk driving, according to the news release. There will be an increase in national messages about drunk drinking, and more officers on the road.

According to the news release, Orland Park Police Chief Joseph Mitchell said "Sadly, the statistics prove that we have a lot of work to do to put an end to drunk driving."

According to the release, NHTSA said 10,511 people were killed in a drunk-driving crash in 2018. From the year 2014, an average of 10,000 people were killed a year, according to the news release.

"We want to see Labor Day celebrated, but celebrated safely," said Chief Mitchell, according to the news release. "We need commitment from our community members that they’ll keep the streets free of drunk drivers so that everyone can have a safe holiday. Help us protect the community and put an end to this senseless behavior," he said.

According to the release, during the year 2018, the Labor Day holiday period (6 p.m. August 31 – 5:59 a.m. September 4), had a total of 439 crash fatalities nationwide. 43% of those fatalities involved drivers who had been drinking (.01+ BAC).

More than 38% of the fatalities involved drivers who were under the influence, and nearly 24% involved drivers who were driving with a BAC almost twice the legal limit (.15+ BAC), according to the release.

Among drivers, those between the ages of 18 and 34 were killed in crashes over the Labor Day holiday period in 2018. 47% of those drivers were drunk, according to the release.

When it comes to safety, The Orland Park Police Department recommends these alternatives to drinking and driving, according to the release:

• Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you’ve had only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation or a ride service to get home safely.
• If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact 9-1-1 immediately.
• Do you have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.

"Drunk driving is not acceptable behavior," said Chief Mitchell, according to the news release. "It is essential to plan a sober ride home before you ever leave for the party."