The following was provided by the Kendall County Sheriff's Office:
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 5 through 24. In Illinois 1,363 persons were killed in 1,233 fatal crashed in 2005. In 2005 there were 121,670 persons injured in crashes. The cost per death in 2005 was $1,150,000 and the cost per nonfatal disabling injury was $60,500.
Many lives will be saved by changing public attitudes regarding the non-use of safety belts and child safety seats. It has been shown that visible enforcement programs focusing on these violations offer the greatest potential for changing these behaviors
That is why The Kendall County Sheriff’s Office announced they will be joining hundreds of other law enforcement and highway safety agencies across Illinois from 12 March, 2013 through 20 March, 2013 to take part in the Enforcement efforts.
“Make no mistake. Our message is simple. No matter what you drive—a passenger car, pickup, sport utility vehicle or motorcycle—if we catch you speeding, driving while impaired, not wearing your seatbelt, or failing to secure a child in an approved child safety seat, we will issue you a citation. No exceptions. No excuses,” said Kendall County Sheriff’s Office Police Operations Commander Phil Smith. “We will be out in force conducting increased traffic enforcement to prevent automobile crashes, to get drunk drivers off the road—and save lives that might otherwise be lost.”
“Driving with a BAC of 0.08 or higher is illegal in Illinois. Yet we continue to see far too many people suffer debilitating injuries and loss of their loved ones as a result of impaired driving. This careless disregard for human life must stop. To help ensure that happens, The Kendall County Sheriff’s Office is dedicated to arresting impaired drivers wherever and whenever we find them,” said Smith
“Driving in excess of the posted speed limit, driving impaired, and not properly wearing your passenger safety belt is simply not worth the risk. Not only do you risk hurting or even killing yourself or someone else, but the trauma and financial costs of a crash or an arrest for impaired driving are significant,” said Smith. “Violators face possible jail time, the loss of their driver’s license, higher insurance rates, attorney fees, time away from work and dozens of other expenses.”
“So don’t take the chance.”
During this statewide crackdown, the Illinois State Police, the Illinois Secretary of State Police and hundreds of local police departments and sheriff’s offices will conduct Special Traffic Enforcement details such as saturation patrols.
The law enforcement crackdown is funded by federal traffic safety funds through IDOT’s Division of Traffic Safety.
