St. Charles Police to increase patrols as part of IDOT Halloween DUI grant

The St. Charles Police Department will participate with agencies across the state as they seek to curb intoxicated driving over the weeks preceding and up to Halloween.

The high-visibility “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” enforcement campaign will run through the early-morning hours of Nov. 1. During this period, motorists in St. Charles will see an increase in patrols as officers will be specifically designated to locate dangerous intoxicated drivers.

“We want to make sure that everyone either participating in Halloween events or just driving through the city remains safe.” St. Charles Police Department Commander Rich Clark said in a news release from the St. Charles Police Department. “Historically we see an increase in DUI crashes, arrests and impaired rivers during this time of year. There are a lot of people out enjoying Halloween gatherings; however, we strongly encourage people to either use a designated driver or choose a ride share option. It’s simply not worth the risk.”

Correct seat-belt use is the most effective way to protect vehicle occupants in a crash, the release stated. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, the statewide seat-belt usage rate is 95.2 percent, yet unbuckled occupants make up a disproportionately large number of fatalities, representing more than 50 percent of people killed in motor vehicle crashes.

The Click It or Ticket/Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement effort is funded with federal highway safety funds administered by IDOT.