SPRINGFIELD, IL - The Illinois State Police (ISP) announced provisional figures today which show 17 persons lost their lives as a result of 15 fatal crashes during the four-day Labor Day holiday. This compares to last year’s total of 19 fatalities in 18 crashes.
“This decrease in fatalities can be attributed to the commitment by local, county, and state law enforcement to inform motorists on the new primary enforcement seat belt legislation. This new law allows officers to stop and issue citations to drivers and front seat passengers who are not wearing a safety belt,” said ISP Director Larry G. Trent. “In addition to the Click It or Ticket campaign which runs through September 7, Troopers are also assigned to more than 100 safety belt enforcement zones throughout the state in an effort to increase voluntary compliance with Illinois’ safety belt and child safety seat laws,” he added.
Additional enforcement patrols conducted during the holiday period included roadside safety checks, air speed checks, and saturation patrols, during which Troopers issued 12,040 citations and written warnings, including 2,450 citations for speeding, more than 3,850 citations for safety belt and child safety seat violations, and 95 DUI arrests during the holiday weekend. |
