Submitted Content

Police and safety officials in St. Clair County are reminding residents to fasten their seat belts and drive sober over the Thanksgiving holiday, or run the risk of receiving a ticket.

Light at a police station / Photo by Roger Starkey

The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department is joining the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Illinois State Police and local law enforcement agencies across the state to strongly enforce seat belt and impaired driving laws.

“Whether you’re going across town or across the state this Thanksgiving, please make sure everyone in the car is wearing their seat belt.  As of Jan. 1, 2012, by law in Illinois, everyone must wear a seat belt no matter what seating position,” said Sheriff Richard Watson.  “Our officers are prepared to ticket anyone who is not wearing a seat belt and arrest those choosing to drive impaired.”

IDOT said that Illinois has a 94.1 percent daytime seat belt usage rate.  However, some drivers and passengers still do not buckle up – especially late at night.

During the 2013 Thanksgiving holiday weekend in Illinois, seven people died and 723 motorists were injured in motor vehicle crashes – three of those deaths involved alcohol, a St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson said.

“Our goal is to save more lives, so the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department will be out enforcing seat belt laws around the clock,” Watson said.  “Additional enforcement will take place late at night when belt use is at its lowest and impaired driving is the biggest problem.”

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), seat belts saved over 12,000 lives nationwide in 2012.

Submitted Content