Published reports forecast this Labor Day weekend will be the heaviest traveled in five years.
“Labor Day is [when] we, as a Nation, come together to honor the working men and women whose effort and dedication continues to help make this Country the greatest in the world,” said Secretary of State Jesse White. “The Labor Day holiday weekend also marks the unofficial end of summer and beginning of the school year….I encourage everyone to remember to celebrate this holiday safely and responsibly. Enjoy the weekend, but don’t drink and drive. Call a cab, use public transportation, or designate a sober driver.”
From Friday, August 16, through Monday, September 2, 2013, White’s Secretary of State Police is joining the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), the Illinois State Police, and local law enforcement agencies, to conduct DUI patrols. This joint Statewide effort is being called “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.”
According to IDOT:
- During the 2011 Labor Day weekend, starting at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, there were nine crash fatalities Statewide, three of which were alcohol-related. That is 33 percent of the total motor vehicle fatalities.
- During the 2010 Labor Day weekend, there were 11 crash fatalities, one of which was alcohol-related. That is approximately nine percent of the total motor vehicle fatalities.
- During the 2009 Labor Day weekend, there were five crash fatalities, two of which were alcohol-related. That is 40 percent of the total motor vehicle fatalities.