Secretary White Advises People to Be Safe This Holiday Season-Designate A Sober Driver
Secretary of State Jesse White advised motorists to celebrate the holiday season safely and to remember the best defense against a drunk driver is a safety belt.
"Let's celebrate the season safely and responsibly by driving sober," White said. "This is the time of year when we focus on family and friends. Let's not experience a tragedy in our family or someone else's because of impaired driving."
- During the 2006 Christmas weekend in Illinois, there were ten crash fatalities, eight of which were alcohol-related.
- During the 2006 New Year's weekend in Illinois, there were thirteen crash fatalities, six of which were alcohol-related.
- In Illinois in 2006, there were 504 alcohol-related traffic fatalities, which is approximately 40% of the 1,254 total motor vehicle crash fatalities.
- Nationally in 2006, an estimated 17,602 people died in alcohol-related traffic crashes-an average of one every 30 minutes. These deaths constitute 41 percent of the 42,642 total traffic fatalities.
White's office is working with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) to distribute red ribbons for the "Tie One on for Safety" program, which encourages drivers to tie a red ribbon on their cars as a sign that they are safe and sober drivers. Those ribbons are available at driver's license facilities across the state.
The Secretary of State's office will join the Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois State Police and law enforcement agencies to enforce the Click It or Ticket campaign to increase safety belt usage during the holiday season. Secretary of State police will also be conducting DUI and seatbelt patrols during the holiday season, White said.
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