From Illinois safety advocates at their Itasca headquarters comes the National Safety Council warning that their statisticians forecast 420 people will die in preventable motor vehicle accidents over the upcoming Labor Day Weekend. Many more accident victims will suffer serious and life-altering injuries.
Labor Day Weekend Covers Friday to Monday
This year, the official holiday weekend to celebrate Labor Day begins on Friday, August 31, 2018, at six o’clock in the evening. It continues through midnight on Monday, September 3, 2018.
How Great is the Danger of a Motor Vehicle Accident over Labor Day?
This upcoming weekend is notorious for being risky to anyone driving on our roads. Labor Day, along with the three-day weekends honoring Memorial Day and Independence Day, have the highest average fatality rates per day.
NSC data shows the average number of traffic deaths during Labor Day over the last six years is 10.5% higher than the average number of traffic deaths during comparison periods.
So, the NSC has issued a news release urging everyone in Illinois, as well as the rest of the country, to be careful should they choose to take to the roads over the upcoming weekend. The NSC cautions that overall, more people die in traffic collisions than in any other form of accident involving a major type of transportation. That risk jumps 10% over the Labor Day holiday.
An added danger over the upcoming 3-day weekend is the threat of more people getting behind the wheel while they are impaired. The NSC advises that holiday festivities often invite drivers to enjoy an alcoholic beverage, which is fine until they choose to drive while under its influence.
NHTSA Campaign to Prevent Labor Day Crashes
For the past few years, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has coordinated its “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign with local and state law enforcement.
Law Enforcement Focuses on Drunk Driving
This is a joint effort to reduce the number of fatal Labor Day auto accidents by boosting monitoring of roads and highways for those who may be driving while impaired. Anyone driving through Indiana or Illinois over the Labor Day Weekend can expect to see more law enforcement patrolling the roadways, on the lookout for impaired drivers.
Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) issued its support of this year’s campaign last week. MADD points out that the police will be looking for more than drunk driving this year.
Crackdown on Drugged Driving This Year
NHTSA has added an additional focus to the traditional safety campaign with “If You Feel Different, You Drive Different. Drive High, Get a DUI.”
Law enforcement will be alert for drivers who may be under the influence of any kind of drug, including marijuana and prescription drugs. Drivers under the influence of marijuana are a growing concern, given the increasing number of jurisdictions that offer marijuana for recreational use.
Why? Studies show that marijuana is second only to alcohol as the drug found in a driver’s blood stream after a crash. Lacey, J. H., Kelley-Baker, T., Berning, A., Romano, E., Ramirez, A., Yao, J., ,… & Compton, R. (2016, December). Drug and alcohol crash risk: A case-control study (Report No. DOT HS 812 355); Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
From NHTSA Deputy Administrator Heidi King:
“A driver’s judgment and ability to react are both impaired when driving high, but many drivers don’t realize that it’s dangerous and illegal. Driving either drunk or high is a DUI; impairment is impairment.”
Police in Indiana and Illinois Already On the Lookout
Actually, in many parts of our area, there may already be an increased police presence on the roads. Some traffic patrols have been operating under the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign for a couple of weeks.
For instance, the Chicago Tribune shares an interview with Naperville Police Sgt. Derek Zook, as the Naperville crackdown began last week.
The News Sentinel reports on a combined effort to enforce “Drive Sober” beginning earlier this month for Indiana’s “Allen County Traffic Safety Partnership,” made up of police departments in Fort Wayne, Allen County, New Haven, and Woodburn.
Will the increase police presence help here? Certainly. However, sadly there will still be serious and fatal car accidents over this 2018 Labor Day Holiday here in Indiana and Illinois.
Be Careful on Indiana and Illinois Roads over Labor Day Weekend
This year, despite the public warnings, the concern of those advocating for victims, and the increased police presence on our roads, we will see serious accidents over this upcoming holiday weekend.
Crash victims in both Indiana and Illinois will have their lives altered, suffering serious or permanent injuries and in some cases, fatal ones. While accident laws do work to provide justice for these victims, the better result of course is for the crash not to happen in the first place.
Consider the warning of MADD National President Colleen Sheehey-Church:
“These final weeks of August when vacations are wrapping up and kids are heading back to school can be exciting and fun. The wrong decision can change that in an instant. We urge everyone to be safe, enjoy the Labor Day festivities, and always plan ahead and designate a non-drinking driver when plans include alcohol.”
Please enjoy your 2018 Labor Day Holiday Weekend, and be careful out there!
