Romeoville Police Will Target Seat Belt, Impaired Driving Infractions During Thanksgiving Holiday Period

Christopher Burne, traffic sergeant with the Romeoville Police Department, has a message for folks traveling over the Thanksgiving holiday period.

"Whether you're going across town or across the state this Thanksgiving, please make sure everyone in the car is wearing their seat belt," Burne said in a news release to announce the Romeoville Police Department is teaming with the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Illinois State Police on a crackdown of seat belt and impaired driving laws.

"As of Jan. 1, 2012, by law in Illinois, everyone must wear a seat belt no matter what seating position," Burne said. "Our officers are prepared to ticket anyone who is not wearing a seat belt and arrest those choosing to drive impaired."

IDOT reports Illinois has a 93.7 percent daytime seat belt usage rate. At night, the numbers dip. And, during the 2012 Thanksgiving holiday period, nine vehicle occupants died in motor vehicle traffic crashes—three of those deaths involved a drinking driver and more than 700 individuals were injured.

"Our goal is to save more lives, so Romeoville Police will be out enforcing seat belt laws around the clock," Burne said. "Additional enforcement will take place late at night when belt use is at its lowest and impaired driving is the biggest problem."