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Orland Park Police Department Begins Fourth of July Safety Campaign to Encourage Safe and Sober Driving

The Orland Park Police Department announced plans for stepped-up July Fourth traffic enforcement with a focus on impaired and unbuckled drivers.

The safety campaign will run from June 16 through the early-morning hours of July 5 to encompass three summer weekends leading up to and after Independence Day.

“It’s simple: If you’re driving, don’t drink or use marijuana or other drugs,” said Orland Park Police Chief Eric Rossi.

“Our officers will be working around the clock to keep impaired drivers off the road and enforce all other traffic laws.”

The Orland Park Police Department will join the Illinois State Police and more than 200 local police and sheriff’s departments for the increased statewide enforcement effort.

Use these tips to help ensure a happy and safe holiday:

- Designate a sober driver and give them your keys before you go out.
- Don’t let friends or family members drive under the influence.
- If you are drunk or impaired by marijuana or other drugs, call a taxi, take mass transit, use your favorite ride-sharing app, or call a sober friend or family member to get you home safely.
- Designate a member of your party to be the sober driver.
- Promptly report drunk drivers to law enforcement by pulling over and dialing 911.
- Make sure everyone in your vehicle wears their seat belt. It’s not only the law, but also your best defense against an impaired driver.

The “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over,” “Drive High Get a DUI” and “Click It or Ticket” programs are made possible by federal highway safety funds administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation. The enforcement period runs concurrently with IDOT’s media campaign, reminding motorists that “It’s Not a Game” to drive impaired.

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Ray Hanania is an award-winning columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.

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