Crystal Lake Police Increase Enforcement Efforts Over St. Patrick's Day Weekend

The Crystal Lake Police Department increase enforcement efforts over the St. Patrick's Day weekend. 

The intensified enforcement effort is meant to target drunken drivers and seat belt law violators and will begin on March 13 and continue through St. Patrick's Day on March 17, according to a Crystal Lake Police Department press release. 

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, according to data from the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). 

Data shows alcohol and lack of belt use continues throughout the nighttime hours until 6 a.m.

The Crystal Lake Police Department 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 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
• Wear your seat belt and make sure all passengers are buckled up. It is your best defense against a drunk driver
• Promptly report drunk drivers you see on the roadways to law enforcement 

The Crystal Lake Police Department participates with the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists (AAIM) in promoting their “Drunkbusters” program.  AAIM pays $100 to tipsters whose calls lead to DUI arrests.  

For more information on the “Drunkbusters” program, including tips on how to recognize a possibly intoxicated driver, visit the AAIM website at www.aaim1.org or call the Crystal Lake Police Department at 815-356-3620.  For further traffic safety related information, please visit www.nhtsa.gov or www.buckleupillinois.org.  

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.

Credit: Crystal Lake Police Department press release