Opinion

Click it or ticket this holiday season<

Posted May 21, 2008 11:00 pm

Over the upcoming Memorial Day Holiday weekend, many of us will take to the roads to visit family and friends.

Whether you plan to stay close to home or travel a long distance, keep in mind the best way to ensure you arrive at your destination safely is to buckle up.

Locally, I'm happy to report drivers in the collar counties of Cook County buckle up over 90 percent of the time they are behind the wheel.

But that still leaves one in 10 drivers who have not yet gotten into the life-saving habit of wearing their seat belts.

The state police issued over 14,000 traffic citations over the four-day holiday period last year including over 4,000 citations for not wearing a seat belt.

Drivers can expect the same this year as extra troopers will be out in force in Kane, McHenry, DeKalb, DuPage and Lake Counties conducting road side safety checks, seat belt enforcement zones, impaired driver and speeding patrols.

We will not be alone as over 500 other Illinois police departments and sheriff's offices will be dedicating over 15,000 hours to seat belt patrols during the "Click It or Ticket" campaign between May 1 and June 1.

Statewide, you can anticipate seeing state troopers assigned to patrol each 10-mile section of interstate highway on Friday and again on Memorial Day.

We will be diligently enforcing all traffic laws and watching closely for those of you who aren't wearing your seat belt, had too much to drink, are going too fast and driving aggressively.

Thirteen people needlessly lost their lives in traffic crashes over the Memorial Day holiday last year and we need your help to make sure everyone arrives safely this year.

If you see a drunk driver, please report him or her by dialing 911 from your cell phone.

If alcohol will be part of your celebrations, remember to drink responsibly and use designated drivers to keep everyone safe. Wear your seat belt and properly secure children in required child safety seats and booster seats.

Have a safe and enjoyable holiday.

Captain Jeff Hedrich

Illinois State Police

District 2

Elgin

Article Comments

Article Categories
Communities Elgin Letters to the Editor McHenry Opinion

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.