SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois State Police and local law enforcement agencies throughout the state are warning motorists that becoming an impaired driving monster may lead to unnecessary motor vehicle fatalities. The message is simple this Halloween: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.
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“While frights can be fun during spooky season, no one wants a scary experience on the road,” said Cynthia Watters, bureau chief of IDOT’s Safety Programs and Engineering. “If your Halloween festivities will involve alcohol or other drugs, plan ahead for a sober ride home to ensure sure that you – and all the other ghouls and goblins haunting the night streets – make it home alive.”
Preliminary data shows that, as of Oct. 25, Illinois traffic fatalities are down by 56 from the same time last year. The stepped-up enforcement will help save lives and keep these numbers down throughout the holiday weekend.
“Getting a DUI will haunt you forever,” said ISP Acting Director Brendan Kelly. “Whether it’s a pumpkin or a driver, getting smashed ruins Halloween.”
If you plan to have a frighteningly good time this Halloween, consider these tips:
• Designate a sober driver, call a cab, use a ride-sharing service, take mass transit or call a sober friend or family member to get home safely.
• Use your community’s designated driver program, if available.
• If you see an impaired driver on the road, pull over and dial 911 immediately.
• If you see an impaired person about to drive, take their keys and help them get home safely.
• Make sure everyone in your vehicle wears a seat belt and children are safely secured in an appropriate car seat or booster seat.
The enforcement campaign is funded with federal highway safety funds administered by IDOT and supported by ISP and local law enforcement agencies throughout Illinois.
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