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 On Aug.15, Illinois law enforcement agencies started the
crackdown on impaired drivers in an effort to save lives. The
stepped-up Labor Day effort comes as 2014 fatalities remain
consistently lower compared to the same point last year. This final
summer push, which runs through September 1, seeks to keep motor
vehicle fatalities as low as possible through what can be a very
dangerous holiday on Illinois roads. As of August 26, Illinois motor
vehicle fatalities are at 562, which is 83 lower compared to the
same timeframe last year.
“While we are encouraged that seat belt usage is up and motor
vehicle fatalities are down so far this year, we can never be
complacent about safety,” said Erica Borggren, Acting Illinois
Transportation Secretary. “Any death on Illinois roadways is one too
many – particularly when using seat belts and driving sober could
have prevented it.”
Recent years have seen Illinois motorists buckling up at higher
rates than ever. For the first time, over 94 percent of Illinois
motorists are buckling up. Based on the annual statewide
observational survey conducted in June 2014, the estimated safety
belt usage rate for 2014 is 94.1 percent, an increase of .4
percentage points from the 93.7 percent in 2013.
While drunk and drug-impaired motor vehicle fatalities have also
declined significantly over the last decade, causing concern are
recent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) estimates showing Illinois drunk driving fatalities
increased rather significantly from 2011 to 2012. NHTSA estimates
show 2011 Illinois drunk driving fatalities (motor vehicle deaths
involving at least one driver with a BAC of 0.08 or higher) totaled
278 compared to 321 in 2012, a 15 percent increase. Nationally,
drunk driving fatalities increased 4.6 percent with 2011 fatalities
totaling 9,865 and 2012 fatalities of 10,322.
The increase in belt use and the reduction in drunk driving has
resulted in an encouraging decrease in Illinois motor vehicle
fatalities over the last 10 years. Illinois motor vehicle fatalities
totaled 1,454 in 2002. Last year, 991 people were killed on Illinois
roads, marking the 5th straight year that Illinois motor vehicle
fatalities were less than 1,000.
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“Among the fatal crashes we see on Illinois roads, one-third
involve an impaired driver – and nearly half of those could
possibly have been prevented if seat belts were being used,”
Borggren continued. “Our increased enforcement efforts over
Labor Day weekend aim to take these trends head-on by increasing
awareness and compliance with state law.”
In a new effort to bring further attention to dangerous driving
behavior and continue the downward trend in motor vehicle
fatalities, IDOT has launched a fresh and innovative advertising
campaign. The campaign utilizes digital and social media to
reach those drivers who are most-often involved in drunk driving
crashes, most likely to drink and drive and not buckle up.
A TV commercial airing this week features Michael Rooker, who
plays Merle Dixon from the popular series “The Walking Dead,”
promoting a website series for a mature audience titled “The
Driving Dead.” The series will include short videos, also
featuring Rooker, that will be publicized on Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram, Hulu and YouTube, involving a cast of characters
living in a Zombie-filled, post-apocalyptic world. The
situations the characters find themselves cleverly depicted
dealing with the dangers of driving impaired and not buckling
up.
Fans can connect with “The Driving Dead” on Facebook, Twitter
and Instagram for up-to-date news, behind-the-scenes footage and
future episodes of the series and by logging on at
www.TheDrivingDeadSeries.com.
[Text received; ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT
OF TRANSPORTATION]
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