Evanston police plan to focus on drunk and/or unbuckled drivers during the upcoming July 4 holiday period.
Cmdr. Jay Parrott says the intensified enforcement effort will center around late-night hours, as statistics show a disproportionate number of traffic deaths occur late at night and involve a drunk driver or an unbuckled motorist.
“Year in and year out, Independence Day is one of the deadliest holidays due to an increase in drunk-driving fatalities on our roadways,” said Parrott. “Too many people die or become severely injured each year due to those who choose to drive after drinking, so our officers will be out in full force this Fourth of July, showing zero tolerance for drunk drivers and belt law violators.”
Evanston police will join the Illinois State Police and hundreds of police and sheriff’s departments in a statewide enforcement effort that begins June 28 and runs through July 7.
The law enforcement crackdown is funded by federal traffic safety funds through the state’s Division of Traffic Safety. The crackdown runs concurrently with a media campaign that reminds motorists, “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” and “Click It or Ticket.”