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Responsible Motorists and Patrol Efforts Result in 82 Percent Decrease in Fatalities
SPRINGFIELD – Officials with the Illinois State Police (ISP) announce that the 2016 Thanksgiving holiday travel period experienced the lowest fatality rate since 2011. The Thanksgiving holiday travel period begins the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and concludes at midnight on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. The below chart shows the fatalities and fatal crashes for the Thanksgiving holiday travel period for the last six years.
| Year | Fatal Crashes | Fatalities |
| 2016 | 3 | 3 |
| 2015 | 15 | 17 |
| 2014 | 13 | 15 |
| 2013 | 7 | 7 |
| 2012 | 8 | 9 |
| 2011 | 7 | 8 |
"I'm proud of the efforts put forth by ISP officers and the safe driving habits displayed by motorists during the Thanksgiving holiday travel period," stated ISP Director Leo P. Schmitz. "Responsible motorists and dedicated officers are the key to bringing next year’s total to zero," he continued.
During the Thanksgiving holiday travel period officers patrolled Illinois roadways, conducted road side safety checks, and participated in other traffic enforcement details to identify the "Fatal Four" moving violations: speeding, driving under the influence (DUI), not wearing seatbelts, and distracted driving. Special emphasis was placed on DUI enforcement, and holiday DUI patrols were designated statewide. The efforts of ISP officers during the Thanksgiving holiday travel period resulted in:
- 6,473 Total Citations
- 4,511 Total Warnings
- 3,732 Speeding Citations
- 569 Seatbelt Citations
- 120 DUI Arrests
- 1,165 Motorist Assisted
- 381 Crashes Handled
- 617 Commercial Motor Vehicles Inspected
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