Today the St. Charles Police Department announced they will be participating with agencies across the state as they seek to curb intoxicated driving over the weeks preceding and up to Halloween. The department will also be working in cooperation with the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office during an upcoming “No Refusal” weekend.
The high-visibility “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” enforcement campaign will run through November 1st. During this period, motorists in St. Charles will see increased patrols as officers will be specifically designated to locate dangerous intoxicated drivers.
“We want to make sure that everyone either participating in Halloween events or just driving through the city remains safe,” said Commander Rich Clark. “Historically, we see an increase in DUI crashes, arrests, and impaired rivers during this time of year. There are a lot of people out enjoying Halloween gatherings; however, we strongly encourage people to either use a designated driver or choose a rideshare option. It’s simply not worth the risk.”
Correct seatbelt use is the most effective way to protect vehicle occupants in a crash. According to IDOT, the statewide seat-belt usage rate is 95.2 percent, yet unbuckled occupants make up a disproportionately large number of fatalities, representing more than 50 percent of people killed in motor vehicle crashes.
The Click It or Ticket/Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement effort is funded with federal highway safety funds administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation.
