FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Orland Park Police Remind Residents to Celebrate Safely

Department Joins National Effort to Curb Impaired Driving Over Holiday Weekend

Orland Park, IL (August 19, 2022) - With Americans celebrating during the upcoming Labor Day holiday weekend, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) wants to remind everyone about the dangers of drinking and driving. This Labor Day weekend, the Orland Park Police Department joins NHTSA to spread the word about impaired driving dangers and to work together to get drunk drivers off the roads and help save lives. The high-visibility national enforcement campaign, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, runs from August 19 through September 6, 2022. During this period, local law enforcement will show zero tolerance for drunk driving. Increased State and national messages about the dangers of drunk driving, coupled with law enforcement and increased officers on the road, aim to drastically reduce drunk driving on our nation’s roadways.

“Sadly, the statistics prove that we have a lot of work to do to put an end to drunk driving,” said Orland Park Police Chief Eric Rossi.

According to NHTSA, 10,142 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes in 2019. On average, 10,000 people were killed each year from 2015 to 2019 — one person was killed in drunk-driving crashes every 52 minutes in 2019.

The Orland Park Police Department is working with NHTSA to remind drivers that drunk driving is not only illegal; it is a matter of life and death. As you head out to the Labor Day festivities, remember: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.

“We want to see Labor Day celebrated, but celebrated safely,” said Chief Rossi. “We need commitment from our community members that they’ll keep the streets free of drunk drivers so that everyone can have a safe holiday. Help us protect the community and put an end to this senseless behavior,” he said. 

During the 2019 Labor Day holiday period (6 p.m. August 30 – 5:59 a.m. September 3), there were 451 crash fatalities nationwide. Forty-five percent of those fatalities involved drivers who had been drinking (.01+ BAC). More than one-third (38%) of the fatalities involved drivers who were drunk (.08+ BAC), and nearly one-fourth (24%) involved drivers who were driving with a BAC almost twice the legal limit (.15+ BAC). Age is a particularly risky factor: Among drivers between the ages of 18 and 34 who were killed in crashes over the Labor Day holiday period in 2019, 46% of those drivers were drunk, with BACs of .08 or higher.

“Drunk driving is not acceptable behavior, especially when there are so many safe alternatives to get home safely,” said Chief Rossi. “It is essential to plan a sober ride home before you ever leave for the party,” he said. 

The Orland Park Police Department recommends these safe alternatives to drinking and driving:

• Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you’ve had only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation or a ride service to get home safely.
• If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact 9-1-1 immediately.
• Do you have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.

For more information on impaired driving, visit https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving.