Palos Park Police Commissioner Dan Polk reminds everyone that with the holidays upon us, the Palos Park Police Department wants everyone to arrive safely at their destinations.

“No one wants to start the holidays off wrong with a safety belt ticket or a DUI arrest, save your money for turkey and buying presents for loved ones – don’t throw it away simply because you failed to buckle up or you were driving impaired,”  Polk said.

The Illinois Department of Transportation’s Division of Traffic Safety is proud that Illinois has a 92.6% daytime safety belt usage rate. Nationally more people are buckling up; however, 45 million Americans still fail to buckle up when they are in a motor vehicle.

NHTSA statistics show that those least likely to buckle up are teens, young adults, males, nighttime riders, motorists traveling on rural roads and individuals traveling in pickup trucks, especially during the late night hours.

Data shows late-night hours are when the highest percentage of motorists die in alcohol-involved crashes and the lowest percentage of vehicle occupants are properly restrained.   Wearing a safety belt costs you nothing, but not wearing it could cost you a ticket or worse … your life.

“We want all drivers and passengers to Click It or Ticket, day and night — and remember, You Drink & Drive. You Lose,” said Police Chief Joe Miller.