Buffalo Grove Police Announce Seat Belt Enforcement

Additional officers from the will be on the streets from Nov. 14-27 to crack down on seat belt violators. The extra patrols are being funded by a grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation - Department of Traffic Safety.

Beginning Jan. 1, everyone in Illinois, regardless of age or seating position, will be required to wear a safety belt.

“I urge everyone driving on Illinois roadways this holiday season to drive carefully, do not drive impaired and, most importantly, buckle up each and every trip, night or day. Remember, the best defense against an impaired driver or a distracted driver is a safety belt,” Buffalo Grove Sgt. Scott Kristiansen said.

In Illinois, during the 2010 Thanksgiving holiday period, more than 700 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes and 15 died. Nine of those deaths involved a drinking driver.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) statistics show that those least likely to buckle up are teens, young adults, males, motorists traveling on rural roads and individuals traveling in pickup trucks, especially during the late night hours. Data shows late-night hours are when the highest percentage of motorists die in alcohol-involved crashes and the lowest percentage of vehicle occupants are properly restrained.

Regular safety belt use is the single most effective way to protect people and reduce fatalities in motor vehicle crashes, according to NHTSA. 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

For more information about the seat belt and drunk driving campaigns, visit www.buckleupillinois.org.

— Submitted by the Buffalo Grove Police Department