Courtesy Forest Park Police Department

The Forest Park Police Department begins end-of-the-year push to save lives on our roads. Steps up late-night impaired driving and safety belt enforcement now through the end of the year 2012.

The Forest Park Police Department announced its latenight enforcement plans for the end-of-the-year holidays focusing on the deadliest time of day for motor vehicle fatalities. The intensified late-night enforcement comes during the heavily-traveled holiday season and underscores the disproportionate number of traffic deaths occurring during late-night hours.

According to data from the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the midnight to 3 a.m. timeframe is the deadliest time on Illinois roadway(s). Not coincidentally, the data also shows this time of day has the highest percentage of alcohol involvement and the lowest occupant restraint use.

“The numbers do not lie and the costs of driving impaired or unbuckled are high, both financially and emotionally when crashes occur. That’s why we are stepping up our late-night enforcement efforts, making sure impaired drivers are off the road and motorists are buckled up,” said Chief Jim Ryan.

Forest Park Police recommends designating a sober driver and not letting friendsand family drive impaired. These are just two of several simple steps to avoid a tragic crash or an arrest for impaired driving. Other important tips include:

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

The law enforcement crackdown is funded by federal traffic safety funds through IDOT’s Division of Traffic Safety and runs concurrently with a media campaign that reminds motorists, “You Drink & Drive. You Lose”. And “Click It or Ticket.”