Press Release Date:
August 28, 2003
|| Archived September 2, 2003
SPRINGFIELD, IL - The Illinois State Police (ISP) announced participation in two traffic safety initiatives designed to increase safety belt use and reduce crashes during the Labor Day holiday. The Click It or Ticket Enforcement Blitz (August 24 to September 7) and Combined Accident Reduction Effort (C.A.R.E.), August 29 to September 1, emphasize the importance of obeying all traffic laws in an effort to save lives.
While traveling this Labor Day weekend, the ISP reminds motorists to:
Never drink and drive.
Obey all posted speed limits.
Always wear a safety belt.
Ensure all children in the vehicle are secured in safety seats or safety belts.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) research has shown that safety belts, when used properly, reduce the risk of fatal injury to front seat occupants by 50 percent. Research on the effectiveness of child safety seats has found them to reduce fatal injury for infants less than one year of age by 71 percent.
“Troopers working these patrols will aggressively enforce safety belt and child passenger safety seat laws, speeding, DUI, and other offenses to ensure highway safety,” said ISP Director Larry G. Trent.
Trent added that enforcement efforts will also include roadside safety checks, safety belt enforcement zones, lidar and air speed details, and concentrated DUI patrols.
Last year during the Labor Day holiday weekend, 19 people died on Illinois roadways as a result of 18 crashes.