Safety urged this Thanksgiving

The Thanksgiving holiday weekend is generally one of the busiest travel holiday periods of the year.

As millions of travelers take to Illinois roadways to celebrate Thanksgiving, Illinois State Police (ISP) Captain Chad Peterson wants to remind motorists to drive safely. The ISP will utilize a combination of enforcement and education to reduce serious crashes and criminal activities. ISP Troopers will be highly visible on the interstates and heavily traveled state routes and will aggressively enforce Fatal Four violations; Speeding, DUI, Distracted Driving and Seat Belts.

Drivers can do their part to ensure they, and their passengers, experience safe travels. Simply keeping your eyes on the road, watching your speed, buckling your seatbelt, and refraining from driving after consuming alcoholic beverages, can reduce your chances of being involved in a traffic crash.

The ISP will be doing our part to help keep everyone safe by removing intoxicated drivers from our roadways, please remember, buzzed driving is drunk driving. Troopers will also be on the watch for drivers exceeding speed limits and those who choose to drive distracted.

“During this Thanksgiving holiday, please be kind and courteous to all our fellow motorists traveling to see loved ones,” stated Commander Peterson, “remember to drive the speed limit, keep your eyes and attention on the road, move over for those on the side of the road, and arrive safely at your destination.”

The ISP is joining the Illinois Department of Transportation, and other law enforcement agencies, to remind motorists to Click It or Ticket. The Click It or Ticket campaign officially starts on November 22 and will end on December 2. The goal of this high-visibility effort is to reduce motor vehicle crashes resulting in injuries and fatalities. Stepped-up patrols and seat belt enforcement zones will be seen throughout the state through the holiday period.