The Illinois Department of Transportation announced today that it, the Illinois State Police and local police agencies will be looking for drunk and unbuckled drivers on Halloween.
Light at a police station / Photo by Roger Starkey
According to IDOT, 19 traffic deaths have occurred in the past five years between the hours of 12 a.m. Oct. 1 to 5:59 a.m. Nov. 1. A driver or motorcycle operator who was drinking was involved in 22 percent of those incidents, an IDOT spokesperson said.
The number of motor vehicle deaths in Illinois, through Oct. 29, stands at 763, down 86 compared to the same timeframe in 2013. IDOT said Illinois is embarking upon an end-of-year push to keep the number of deaths trending downward.
IDOT offers the following tips for anyone who plans to drink alcohol while away from home.
- Before the Halloween festivities begin, plan a way to get home safely at the end of the night. If you wait until you have been drinking, you are more likely to make the decision to drive drunk
- Always designate a sober driver
- If you are impaired, take a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation
- Walking impaired can be just as dangerous as drunk driving. Designate a sober friend to walk you home
- Use your community’s sober ride program, if available
- If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact local law enforcement
- If you know someone who is about to drive or ride impaired, take their keys and help them make safe travel arrangements to where they are going
