The Sangamon County Sheriff's Office partnered with the Illinois Department of Transportation and law enforcement across the state for the holiday "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" enforcement campaign. From Dec. 16 through Jan. 2, the Sangamon County Sheriff s Office showed zero tolerance for impaired driving.
"We can't stress this enough: Impaired driving is illegal, potentially deadly behavior, and it puts the driver, passengers and all road users at risk," said Sheriff Jack Campbell, "The 'Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over' campaign helps our law enforcement officers address this problem head on. If you use any impairing substance, do not get behind the wheel of a vehicle."
The Deputies of the Sangamon County Sheriff s Office issued 16 seatbelt citations, 3 car seat citations, 2 distracted driving citations, 31 speeding citations, and 3 citations for driving on a suspended driver's license. Deputies also made 3 warrant arrests during the campaign.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, in 2020, a total of 11,654 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driver. On average, more than 10,000 people were killed each year from 2016 to 2020, with one person killed in an alcohol-related crash every 45 minutes in 2020.