St. Charles police to have extra patrols out for Labor Day holiday

The St. Charles Police Department is continuing its support of the Illinois Department of Transportation's Sustained Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) for FY2018 and reminds motorists to fasten their seat belts over the Labor Day Holiday period or run the risk of receiving a ticket.

The objective of the STEP program is to reduce the incidence of motor vehicle crashes and the resulting injuries and fatalities, through increased highly visible enforcement of occupant restraint, impaired driving, speed and pedestrian safety during national and state enforcement campaigns.

Commencing Aug. 20 through Sept. 4, additional St. Charles police officers will be out conducting DUI and seat belt enforcement in conjunction with the Illinois Department of Transportation's Click It or Ticket and Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over traffic campaigns.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), seat belt use is the single most effective way to protect people and reduce fatalities in motor vehicle crashes. The goals of the STEP Program are to reduce the number of severe injury and fatal traffic crashes, to achieve a higher use of safety belts, child safety seats and booster seats and to achieve a lower incidence of impaired driving involved injuries and fatalities.

Research has shown that when lap and shoulder belts are used properly, the risk of fatal injury to front seat passenger car occupants is reduced by 45 percent, and the risk of moderate to serious injury is reduced by 50 percent.

The St. Charles Police Department wants all drivers to arrive safely at their destination. For more information about the Click It or Ticket and the Drive Sober Get Pulled Over programs, visit www.buckleupillinois.org.