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'Click It or Ticket' Memorial Day mobilization in Illinois

Police step up enforcement 24/7 as IDOT data shows unbuckled fatalities increase in late-afternoon hours

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[May 25, 2013]  CHICAGO -- The Illinois Department of Transportation's 2013 "Click It or Ticket" mobilization, which began May 13, will run through Memorial Day.

Young males ages 18-34 were a third of the 955 people who died on Illinois roadways last year, accounting for 317 deaths. Bringing this message home when the "Click It or Ticket" mobilization was announced was Melissa Ledezma, who lost her teenage son in a crash while he was not buckled up. She discussed her family's crusade to save lives by wearing seat belts.

The Illinois State Police and more than 500 local law enforcement agencies are cracking down on seat belt law violators through the Memorial Day weekend. During the two-week mobilization, police have been directing extra enforcement of seat belt, impaired driving and other traffic laws during all hours of the day and night, with a large number of patrols occurring during late-night hours. In addition, special emphasis has been placed on late-afternoon hours, when data shows unbuckled motor vehicle fatalities begin to rise.

According to data, seat belt use on Illinois roadways declines drastically in the nighttime hours, 9 p.m.-6 a.m., but a significant decline in seat belt use begins in the 4 p.m. hour. For the five years from 2008 through 2012, 36 percent of those who died in crashes from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. were not belted. That figure rises significantly beginning at 4 p.m., when 43 percent of individuals suffering fatal injuries were not properly belted. Seat belt use continues to decline well into the night.

For this reason, IDOT, the Illinois State Police and local law enforcement agencies statewide remind motorists that seat belt enforcement has been stepped up during the current mobilization. During rush hour, motorists choosing to not buckle up have been more likely to receive a ticket.

Since the "Click It or Ticket" campaign began in July 2003, seat belt usage in Illinois has jumped to 93.6 percent, one of the nation's highest seat belt usage rates. The increase in seat belt use has resulted in thousands of lives saved in that time and is responsible for a direct decline in Illinois motor vehicle fatalities.

"Even with 9 out of 10 motorists buckling up in Illinois, far too many people are still dying unbuckled, especially during certain times of the day," said Illinois Transportation Secretary Ann L. Schneider. "IDOT, the Illinois State Police and hundreds of great local police and sheriff's departments are saying (with the mobilization) that this needs to change.

"IDOT is utilizing federal safety dollars to assist Illinois law enforcement to provide more seat belt enforcement. They'll be out there during rush hour, during the morning commute and during those late-night hours when the most unbuckled fatalities occur. If you're caught unbuckled or driving drunk, you'll be given a ticket or arrested. It is not about money; it's not about tickets. It's about saving lives," Schneider added.

"The Illinois State Police will be joined by all ranks of law enforcement across Illinois to deploy roadside safety checks, seat belt missions and DUI enforcement," said ISP Director Hiram Grau. "Law enforcement's collective message is clear: One fatality is one too many, so don't drink and drive, and buckle up."

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More than $1.2 million in federal safety funding has been made available to the Illinois State Police and more than 540 local law enforcement agencies to provide additional safety belt and drunk driving patrols during this two-week "Click It or Ticket" mobilization period. These grants fund thousands of seat belt enforcement zones and seat belt saturation patrols. Fifty percent or more of these patrols are to occur during nighttime hours, 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. The mobilization also includes drunk driving enforcement, with over 50 roadside safety checks.

For more information about the "Click It or Ticket" campaign in Illinois, go to www.buckleupillinois.org.

___

Illinois motor vehicle fatalities by time of day and safety belt use, 2008-2012



Hour

Total
fatal-
ities

Fatal-
ities
not belted

Percent
of hourly fatals not belted

Midnight-12:59 a.m.

110

76

69.3%

1-1:59 a.m.

126

88

70.0%

2-2:59.a.m.

139

83

59.9%

3-3:59.a.m.

107

87

81.5%

4-4:59.a.m.

80

49

61.4%

5-5:59.a.m.

81

40

49.5%

6-6:59.a.m.

101

52

51.6%

7-7:59.a.m.

91

32

35.2%

8-8:59.a.m.

75

42

56.2%

9-9:59.a.m.

79

34

30.5%

10-10:59 a.m.

90

31

34.5%

11-11:59 a.m.

91

31

34.1%

Noon-12:59 p.m.

102

42

41.3%

1-1:59 p.m.

94

32

34.1%

2-2:5 p.m.

130

38

29.3%

3-3:59 p.m.

120

41

34.2%

4-4:59 p.m.

112

49

43.9%

5-5:59 p.m.

93

51

55.0%

6-6:59 p.m.

107

52

48.7%

7-7:59 p.m.

100

50

50.1%

8-8:59 p.m.

94

54

57.6%

9-9:59 p.m.

105

49

46.8%

10-10:59 p.m.

82

53

64.8%

11-11:59 p.m.

134

84

62.8%

Totals

2,443

1,233

50.5%

[Text from Illinois Department of Transportation file received from the Illinois Office of Communication and Information]

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