State running motorist protection
'Click It or Ticket' campaign    

[NOV. 20, 2004]  SPRINGFIELD -- The Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois State Police and local law enforcement agencies throughout the state are teaming up this holiday season to warn motorists to "Click It or Ticket." The goal of this campaign, which begins Monday and continues through the end of the year, is not to write tickets but to save lives.

News conferences throughout the state on Monday will kick off the enforcement effort. Secretary of Transportation Timothy W. Martin, along with other representatives from the Department of Transportation, Illinois State Police and local law enforcement, will be on hand to remind motorists to buckle up every trip, every time. The events are scheduled in Quincy, Springfield, Rock Island, Maryville, Marion, Rockford, Chicago and Peoria.

While the Click It or Ticket enforcement campaign will be conducted on all Illinois roadways, special emphasis will be placed on residential roadways and on young drivers. Motorists are at equal risk of death or injury while running an errand close to home as they are when traveling on an interstate highway.

During the mobilization effort, officers will conduct saturation patrols and safety belt enforcement zones, and the state police will coordinate road side safety checks. Officers will also be watching for impaired drivers.

The public is reminded to celebrate safely this holiday season.

[Illinois Department of Transportation news release]