Illinois law enforcement begins You Drink &
Drive. You Lose. July 4th crackdown on impaired drivers
IDOT, Illinois State Police
and Illinois law enforcement step up patrols during deadly
late-night hours
Chicago – Illinois law enforcement today
announced the July 4th You Drink & Drive. You Lose crackdown on
impaired drivers as new data shows an overwhelming number of
late-night motor vehicle fatalities involve a drinking driver.
This July 4th motorists and hundreds of Illinois law enforcement
agencies will join the Illinois State Police in conducting
numerous additional, late-night roadside safety checks, impaired
driving patrols and safety belt enforcement zones.
“We must decrease the number of crashes occurring on IL
roadways, particularly at night, but we need help from the
motoring public,” said IDOT Secretary Gary Hannig. “Data shows a
very disproportionate number of fatal traffic crashes on
Illinois roads occur late at night, and a very high percentage
of these fatalities involve alcohol and motorists who have
failed to buckle up. “Take our advice, it could save a life.”
According to data from the Illinois Department of Transportation
(IDOT) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA),
the midnight to 3:00 am timeframe is the deadliest time on
Illinois roads. In addition, the data also shows this time of
day has the highest percentage of alcohol involvement and the
lowest safety belt use. For the last 4 years (2005-2008), 54
percent of the drivers involved in fatal crashes from midnight
to 3:00 am had been drinking. The next-highest time frame for
drinking drivers involved in fatal crashes was 3:00 am to 5:59
am at 41 percent.
“Impaired driving and failure to wear a seat
belt are the two leading causes of death in motor vehicle
crashes at night,” stated Deputy Regional Administrator of
Region 5 NHTSA Office John Balser. “We believe that dual focus
of seat belt and impaired driving enforcement can further reduce
traffic death and injuries on Illinois roadways this 4th of July
weekend.” “The sad reality is that numerous lives
are impacted every day in Illinois because of an impaired
driver,” Illinois State Police Director Jonathon Monken said.
“Even with the raised awareness about the consequences of
drinking and driving, there are still those who choose to drive
while impaired. That's why the ISP will increase our enforcement
efforts by working closely with our local partners during the
July 4th holiday.” The You Drink & Drive. You
Lose crackdown began June 19 and runs through July 5. It is
being supported by nearly $1 million in federal safety funds
being made available by IDOT’s Division of Traffic Safety. For
more information about the impaired driving in Illinois, please
visit
www.drivesoberillinois.org. Percentage
of Drivers Involved in Fatal Crashes Who Had Been Drinking
By Time of Day*
|
Year |
Midnight-2:59am |
3:00am-5:59am |
6:00am-8:59am |
9:00am-11:59am |
Noon-2:59am |
3:00pm-5:59pm |
6:00pm-8:59pm |
9:00pm-11:59pm |
|
2005 |
50% |
35% |
9% |
8% |
8% |
10% |
18% |
31% |
|
2006 |
56% |
47% |
9% |
4% |
11% |
10% |
28% |
34% |
|
2007 |
54% |
44% |
9% |
5% |
9% |
12% |
26% |
37% |
|
2008 |
55% |
40% |
11% |
7% |
3% |
13% |
25% |
38% |
|
2005-2008 |
54% |
41% |
10% |
6% |
8% |
11% |
24% |
35% |
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*Percentage
of drivers involved in fatal crashes for the specified
time period who had a BAC of 0.01 or greater |
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