You’d better fasten your seatbelts and hang up that cell phone if you happen to be driving through Evanston.
Over the Thanksgiving weekend, Evanston officers issued 37 citations for seatbelt violations and 30 citations for operating handheld cell phones while driving.
These enforcement efforts were sponsored through the Illinois Department of Transportation’s, “Click it or Ticket” program.
The enhanced holiday weekend traffic enforcement initiative also yielded the following results, according to the EPD:
Operating a vehicle on a suspended license: 4 arrests
Illegal transportation of open alcohol in a vehicle: 6 citations issued
Possession of a fictitious ID card: 1 citation Issued
Excessive speed violations: 7 citations issued
No proof of valid insurance: 2 citations issued
Other minor traffic citations: 8 citations issued
Holiday traffic enforcement statistics
My thanks to EPD for enforcing the laws on distracted drivers who insist on using their hand held devices while driving…
I live on Oakton St and while mowing my lawn recently, I noted more people yacking while driving (one even swerved around the turn @ Callan – WITH A BABY IN HER Land Rover!) than not! I was only a few feet from the curb and made me wince and pay close attention to cars driving westbound.
This is an unfortunate epidemic and hopefully, vigorous enforcement will modify this behavior.
Safe driving means giving your full attention to the roadway and all the (pedestrian, cyclists, vehicles and other) hazards. Please take a moment to pull over to a safe place to make or receive a phone call (or send/receive a text)!
Respectfully, Brian G. Becharas