Crackdown on drunken driving now through Labor Day

SPRINGFIELD — Law enforcement authorities have kicked off a two-week crackdown on drunken driving called "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over."

The Illinois Department of Transportation says state police and more than 350 local police departments and county sheriff's offices have joined the effort leading up to the Labor Day weekend.

Authorities across the state will conduct more than 200 roadside safety checks and hundreds of additional hours of impaired driving and safety belt saturation patrols.

Motorists are being warned to buckle up, or risk getting a ticket.

During last year's Labor Day weekend, 12 people died in motor vehicle crashes and one of the fatalities involved a drinking driver. Another 763 people were injured during the same holiday period.