The Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois State Police, and more than 200 law enforcement agencies across the state are joining forces to encourage motorists to buckle up and drive sober during the Memorial Day weekend.
The enforcement effort is part of the national “Click It or Ticket” campaign running through May 26th.
According to IDOT data, 252 people who were not properly restrained died in crashes in 2024. Illinois currently has a seat belt usage rate of 93%, though officials say the remaining 7% continue to place themselves at unnecessary risk.
The campaign comes ahead of what safety officials refer to as the “100 deadliest days of summer,” the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day when traffic fatalities traditionally increase. Last year’s Memorial Day holiday period—from 6 p.m. Friday, May 23rd through 11:59 p.m. Monday, May 26th—resulted in 10 fatal crashes claiming 11 lives in Illinois.
Safety officials also reminded motorists to wear seat belts properly by positioning the shoulder belt across the center of the chest and away from the neck, placing the lap belt low across the hips rather than the stomach, and never placing the seat belt behind the back or under the arm.
For more information on the “Click It or Ticket” Memorial Day campaign, visit www.buckleupillinois.org. The effort is administered by IDOT with federal funds and coincides with the comprehensive multimedia campaign “It’s Not a Game.”