Police urge safe driving for Labor Day

With Americans celebrating during the upcoming Labor Day holiday weekend, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration wants to remind everyone about the dangers of drinking and driving.

This Labor Day weekend, local police departments and Illinois State Police are spreading the word about impaired driving dangers and will be taking part in the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign that will run through Tuesday, September 6.

During this period, local law enforcement will show zero tolerance for drunk driving. Increased State and national messages about the dangers of drunk driving, coupled with law enforcement and increased officers on the road, aim to drastically reduce drunk driving on our nation’s roadways.

“Sadly, the statistics prove that we have a lot of work to do to put an end to drunk driving,” said Orland Park Police Chief Eric Rossi.

According to NHTSA, 10,142 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes in 2019. On average, 10,000 people were killed each year from 2015 to 2019 — one person was killed in drunk-driving crashes every 52 minutes in 2019.

“We want to see Labor Day celebrated, but celebrated safely,” said  Rossi. “We need commitment from our community members that they’ll keep the streets free of drunk drivers so that everyone can have a safe holiday. Help us protect the community and put an end to this senseless behavior,” he said.

“Drunk driving is not acceptable behavior, especially when there are so many safe alternatives to get home safely,” said Rossi. “It is essential to plan a sober ride home before you ever leave for the party.” 

In Palos Park, police will be out in force, keeping a close eye on the roads, and enforcing the law to keep motorists safe.  Additional officers will be on patrol cracking down on impaired drivers, speeders, and those who are a danger to themselves and others on our roadways.

“As motorists travel through Palos Park, we want them to know our officers will be out in force, working hard to remove impaired drivers from the roads. Our goal is for everyone to get safely to their destination,”  Police Commissioner Dan Polk said.