Don't Drink and Drive: Police Plan Labor Day Crackdown
Plainfield, Will County police will conduct DUI and seat belt enforcements through the holiday.
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For many people, it's the last hurrah of the summer, but police will be out in full force this Labor Day weekend making sure motorists don't put themselves and others at risk by overindulging in alcohol.
Citing the "disproportionate number of traffic deaths involving alcohol and unbelted motorists," Will County Sheriff's police began a stepped-up late-night enforcement on Aug. 17, lasting through Labor Day on Sept. 3.
According to the Illinois Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, midnight to 3 a.m. is the deadliest time on Illinois roadways — and is also the time of day with the highest percentage of alcohol involvement and lowest seat belt usage rate.
"The numbers do not lie. We will be stepping up our late-night enforcement efforts, making sure impaired drivers are off the road and motorists are buckled up," said Sgt. Steve Byland.
Plainfield police will also be stepping up late-night enforcement by conducting enforcement on foot at seat belt enforcement zones and "roving patrols" to stay on the lookout for impaired drivers, according to a press release.
Plainfield will team with Shorewood, Will County and Illinois State Police for a roadside safety check along Route 59 on Saturday, Sept. 1.
To avoid an alcohol-related tragedy, Plainfield police recommend designating a sober driver and not letting friends or family drive drunk. Police also shared the following tips:
- Plan ahead. Designate a sober driver before going out and give that person your keys.
- If you are impaired, call a taxi, use mass transit or call a sober friend or family member to get you home safely.
- Promptly report impaired drivers you see on the roadways to law enforcement.
- Wear your seat belt and make sure all passengers are buckled up. It is your best defense against an impaired driver.
The Labor Day law enforcment crackdown is funded by federal traffic safety funds through the Illinois Department of Transportation's Division of Traffic Safety.
dennis
10:29 am on Monday, August 20, 2012
They like to call themselves Safety Officers. Many of the public calls them REVENUERS. Lots of us avoid Plainfield for that reason.
MidwestGal
11:20 am on Monday, August 20, 2012
If "lots of us" refers to drunk drivers, please, do avoid Plainfield - most of us don't want to share the road with you.
dennis
2:02 pm on Monday, August 20, 2012
I have no objection to ticketing drunk drivers. I do find it a waste of resources to have officers hiding in the dark, then stepping out to peer in car windows to see if you are wearing a seat belt. It's about the revenue and some politians admit it.
T-Bone
9:26 pm on Monday, August 20, 2012
Well if this is going to make money they are going to have catch a lot of drunks! I went through the "Safety Check" on Memorial Day and there were so many Cops they could not have made money. As much as I bitch about the Police, I believe if they catch 1 drunk driver on this check they spent money wisely. How much is a life worth? I would hate to lose someone because some dumb a$$ drinks and thinks he can drive.
Tim
9:47 pm on Monday, August 20, 2012
"Plainfield police will also be stepping up late-night enforcement by conducting enforcement on foot at seat belt enforcement zones"
Wouldn't it be shorter to call it what it is?
'Hiding in bushes with a flashlight'
I think some people think I am joking or exaggerating when I say this is what the police do here.
Hugo
2:35 pm on Tuesday, August 21, 2012
While I agree it's lame and desperate, it is not unique.
Baba O'Riley
3:36 pm on Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Once again for those of us who just cant seem to put this together. Obey the speed limit, wear seatbelts, stop at stop signs, dont run red lights, dont stop on rr tracks (my personal favorite), have insurance and a license, put your f##king cell phone down, and if you have been drinking dont drive. Easy enough. If this is too much to calculate then take a fellow posters advice and stay out of Plainfield. Good job PPD, continue to pinch these compulsive offenders.
Tim
4:19 pm on Tuesday, August 21, 2012
I'm not sure how many times it has to be pointed out to you, but when someone comes running out of the bushes to run up to your car with a flashlight in your face, it does not give the message to those coming into downtown that they are welcome.
My passenger and I were both wearing our seat belts when this has happened, and after getting the $%^& scared out of us TWICE, we decided to spend our time and money in places where this isn't a common practice. There are plenty of places that don't treat innocent people as if they are guilty, throwing common courtesy out the window.
Amusingly enough, when we told this story at one of the restaurants in another nearby town we were in, the other people there recited the EXACT same story as it happened to them, and gave it as a reason why they no longer visit downtown Plainfield at night.
Olddeegee
6:10 pm on Tuesday, August 21, 2012
I'm going downtown tonight! Tim won't be there!
MidwestGal
6:27 pm on Tuesday, August 21, 2012
You said it Babs! T-Bone is correct too - any $$ amount to catch a drunkin' idiot!
Hey Tim, don't go to the Police station's annual haunted house either - they're even scarier there!
Baba O'Riley
3:14 pm on Wednesday, August 22, 2012
So long Tim. Dont let the door hit ya in the a** on the way out. As for all the patrons in the "nearby town" (fantasyville) tell them to stay there too. Please avoid downtown at all costs. One less fruitcake. You were really that scared? You better not even leave the house.
Concerned (NL)
10:08 am on Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Why do they announce this? It doesn't keep the drunks off the road - it simply warns them to avoid that road. If you have a license and are not doing anything wrong this shouldn't bother anyone. Who cares if it generates $$ for the town as long as it saves one life or gets one unlicensed driver off the road the safety check is worth it.