ULLIN – Illinois State Police (ISP) District 22 Commander, Captain Michael Alvey, is reminding motorists to take the necessary safety precautions to prevent senseless tragedies during the upcoming Memorial Day holiday weekend. Memorial Day weekend is one of the busiest periods for travelers, and millions of motorists are expected to hit the roadways and interstates across the country.
The ISP will be doing our part in keeping the roadways safe for those traveling through the state. The ISP will be strictly enforcing the most common traffic violations that result in fatal crashes: Speeding, DUI, seat belts, and distracted driving.
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There are many safe driving initiatives the ISP is participating in over the holiday weekend.
- On Monday, May 21, the ISP collaborated with surrounding states with the Border to Border (B2B) initiative. The B2B initiative kicked off the 2018 Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement campaign. The Click It or Ticket campaign runs through June 3, 2018.
- On Friday, May 25, the ISP will kick off the holiday weekend with a Line to Line (L2L) patrol. The L2L patrol aims to have a trooper every 25 miles on I-55 through Mississippi, Louisiana and Missouri. The ISP is taking this one step further by having a trooper every 20 miles and will include I-57 and I-80 too.
- Friday, May 25, also kicks off a nationwide, four-day Combined Accident Reduction Effort (CARE). Operation CARE aims to reduce the number of crashes by strict traffic enforcement to obtain voluntary compliance in the area of: alcohol and drug-related offenses; maximum speed limit laws; and occupant restraint laws.
You can do your part to make travel safer this holiday weekend. If you are going to be at an event with alcohol, please make sure you designate a driver. Keep your eyes on the road and off of the cell phone. Unless it’s hands-free, Illinois law prohibits the use of any electronic devices while operating a motor vehicle. Please be sure to watch your speed and make sure you buckle up.
Commander Alvey stated, “Be responsible while driving on the roadways keeping distractions to a minimum, designate a driver if you are consuming alcohol, and move over and give room for any vehicle on the shoulder of the road.”
Last year, the ISP issued 3,036 tickets for speeding violations during the four-day holiday period from Friday to Monday. During the same time period, there were 96 DUI arrests; and 533 seatbelt violations.
We are confident that voluntary compliance of Illinois traffic laws can lead to a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend for everyone.
