Lake County Cracks Down on Drunk Drivers

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is stepping up its DUI enforcement efforts for the holiday season.

The department's 2012 Holiday “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over/Click It or Ticket” program began Monday and runs through New Year's Eve.

Officers will be cracking down on drunk drivers and seat belt law violators. Enforcement efforts will concentrate on the deadly nighttime hours between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.

According to data from the Illinois Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the midnight to 3 a.m. timeframe is the deadliest time on Illinois roadways, and 9 p.m. is the time of day when data shows that alcohol involvement and low seat belt use begins to play a much more significant role in motor vehicle fatalities. Data shows alcohol and lack of belt use continues throughout the nighttime hours until 6 a.m.

“The numbers do not lie. We will be stepping up our late-night enforcement efforts, making sure drunk drivers are off the road and motorists are buckled up,” said Sheriff Mark Curran. “In Lake County, the message is simple…Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over and Click It or Ticket.”

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office recommends designating a sober driver and not letting friends and family drive drunk as just two of several simple steps to avoid a tragic crash or an arrest for drunk driving. Other important tips include:

• Plan ahead. Designate a sober driver before going out and give that person your keys.
• If you are drunk, call a taxi, use mass transit or call a sober friend or family member to get you home safely.
• Promptly report drunk drivers you see on the roadways to law enforcement;
• Wear your seat belt and make sure all passengers are buckled up. It is your best defense against a drunk driver.

The law enforcement crackdown runs concurrently with a media campaign that reminds motorists to “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” and “Click It or Ticket,” and is administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation with funds made available via the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

— Information provided by the Lake County Sheriff's Office