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Failure to wear a seat belt and using a cell phone while driving were two offenses that most caught the eye of Evanston police during a Labor Day crackdown.

They were the offenses most cited during the 2017 “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” Labor Day impaired driving enforcement campaign, held from Aug. 21 through the early morning hours of today in an effort to keep impaired drivers off the roadways.

Evanston police issued 152 citations for failure to wear a seat belt, 86 citations for using a cell phone while driving, and one for failure to secure a child. There were also 20 citations for speeding and 16 for no proof of insurance.

Only a single citation was issued for driving under the influence, an indication that the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” motto might have been effective.

The crackdown was funded by federal highway safety funds from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and is managed through the Illinois Department of Transportation.

A resident of Evanston since 1975, Chuck Bartling holds a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University and has extensive experience as a reporter and editor for daily newspapers, radio...

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