Orland Park Police Remind All to Drive Sober This Independence Day, and Every Day

This Independence Day, the Orland Park Police Department and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) want to remind drivers that Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving.

However your celebrations may look this year, make sure you celebrate the birth of our nation safely. If you are under the influence of alcohol and you choose to get behind the wheel of a vehicle, you put everyone on the road in danger, including yourself.

During the Fourth of July holiday, make sure you plan ahead for a safe weekend of festivities.

Fireworks display for the 4th of July. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 10,142 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2019 that involved an alcohol-impaired driver.

With Fourth of July festivities wrapping up in the evening or late at night, more cars will be on the roads at night. In 2019, 515 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes over the July 4th holiday period (6 p.m. July 3 to 5:59 a.m. July 8). Thirty-eight percent (198) of those fatalities occurred in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes.

“We want our community to have a happy and safe Independence Day, one that they’ll remember for years to come, for all the right reasons,” said Orland Park Chief of Police Joe Mitchell.

“We’ve partnered with NHTSA to help remind drivers that Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. Under no circumstance is it ever okay to drink and drive. This behavior is illegal, it’s deadly, and it’s selfish. Do everyone in your community a favor: If you’ll be drinking at a Fourth of July party, or for any occasion, plan ahead for a sober ride.”

From 2015 to 2019, there were 1,339 people killed in drunk-driving crashes over the 4th of July holiday period. Thirty-eight percent (512) of the drivers killed were alcohol-impaired (BAC of .08+). During the 2019 July 4th holiday period, 69% of those who died in alcohol-impaired crashes were in a crash involving at least one driver or motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at or above .15.

Nighttime hours are especially dangerous: Over the 2019 July 4th holiday period, of the 198 people who died in alcohol-impaired motor vehicle traffic crashes, almost 4 out of 5 (79%) of them occurred in nighttime crashes (6 p.m.–5:59 a.m.).

Celebrate with a Plan

This Fourth of July, the Orland Park Police Department and the NHTSA urge drivers to designate a sober driver before heading out for the evening. If you plan on drinking, plan how you will get around without driving.

Remember these tips for a safe night on the roads:

Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you’ve had only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation or a ride service to get home safely.
If you see a drunk driver on the road, dial 9-1-1 immediately.
Do you have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.

This Fourth of July, commit to driving 100-percent sober, because Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. For more information on impaired driving, visit https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving.

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Ray Hanania

Ray Hanania is an award-winning opinion 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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Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.

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