State police step up impaired driving enforcement through July 6

Illinois State Police and local law enforcement are conducting a “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign through July 6, targeting impaired drivers on holiday roads.

The enforcement push comes as the Fourth of July weekend draws heavy traffic. Last year during the same period, 18 people died in 17 fatal crashes across Illinois. Four of those crashes involved alcohol-impaired drivers, police officials said.

“Driving impaired is not a game. It’s a decision with potentially deadly consequences,” said Stephane B. Seck-Birhame, Illinois Department of Transportation’s bureau chief of Safety Programs and Engineering.

“Plan ahead. If you’re drinking alcohol, using cannabis or any other drug, don’t drive.”

Police said they will enforce seat belt, speeding, and distracted-driving laws alongside impaired-driving checkpoints.

State police urged drivers to designate a sober driver before leaving home, use a taxi or rideshare service, or call their community’s sober ride program if they plan to drink or use drugs.