Police cracking down on holiday drunken driving

Ten people died in motor vehicle crashes in Illinois during last year’s Fourth of July weekend. Seven of those fatalities involved a driver who’d been drinking.

To prevent crashes, police throughout the state are cracking down on drunk driving and enforcing seat belt laws this weekend.

The Illinois Department of Transportation is reminding drivers of the financial costs of driving under the influence. The department says the average cost of a DUI arrest is nearly $19,000. That includes fines, legal fees and increased insurance costs.

Illinois Transportation Secretary Gary Hannig says there’s been a decrease in fatalities and injuries on Illinois roadways in recent years. He credits traffic safety programs, safety engineering, law enforcement partnerships and seat belts.