State Police Prep for Holiday Weekend, 10th Anniv of Seat Belt Program

Illinois State Police plan to boost the number of seat-belt enforcement zones and other patrols as the Memorial Day weekend approaches.

Besides being a time of heavier holiday traffic, the weekend is also the 10th anniversary of the state Department of Transportation's "Click It or Ticket" program.

IDOT spokesman Josh Kauffman credits "Click It or Ticket" with boosting compliance with Illinois' mandatory seat belt usage over the past decade, and helping bring traffic fatalities down to the lowest levels since the early 1920s --- with less than 1,000 deaths in 2009 and 2010.

"The safety belt usage rate is at an all-time high," Kauffman said. "It's more than 92% throughout the state. And we're continuing to look for other ways to increase that as well. So this is obviously an approach that helps with that. We understand that law enforcements is very helpful and very successful and effective in boosting safety across the state."

Nearly $1.6 million in federal funding will support Illinois' "Click It or Ticket" program this year --- as well as patrols to check for impaired driving. This funding will help more than 400 local law enforcement agencies provide extra patrols and roadside safety checks this weekend. Half or more of these patrols will occur during late-night hours.