State Police Urge Safety During Memorial Day Weekend

Illinois State Police (ISP) District 12 Commander, Captain Cory Ristvedt, is reminding motorists to take the necessary safety precautions to prevent tragedies from occurring 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, otherwise known as the ‘Fatal-Four’:  Speeding, DUI, Failure to Wear Seatbelt, and Distracted Driving.

The ISP is participating in the following safe driving initiatives over the holiday weekend:

• On Monday, May 20, the ISP collaborated with surrounding states for the Border to Border (B2B) initiative. The B2B initiative kicked off the 2019 Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement campaign. The Click It or Ticket campaign runs through June 2. 
• Friday, May 24, also kicked off a nationwide, four-day Combined Accident Reduction Effort (CARE). Operation CARE aims to reduce the number of crashes through strict traffic enforcement, in order to obtain voluntary compliance in the areas of: alcohol and drug-related offenses; maximum speed limit laws; and occupant restraint laws.

Please 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 sober driver. Always 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. 

“During this holiday of remembrance, may we as well take heed to preserve and protect our loved ones here and now by doing everything we can to arrive alive during this heavily traveled weekend”, said Captain Ristvedt.  “Choose to do these four things right throughout your celebrations and travels:  Operate alert, drive sober, slow down and buckle up”, he added. 

Last year, the ISP issued a total of 5,924 traffic citations and 5,206 written warnings during the four-day holiday period from Friday to Monday. This number includes 815 seatbelt citations issued, and 109 DUI arrests made.