Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office Cracking Down on Drunk Drivers

From December 19 through January 4 of the New Year, the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office will be out in force as part of the annual Illinois “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” program. This is part of the end of the year statewide crackdown that will include high-visibility alcohol and seat belt enforcement through the Stateline.

With the support of national and state paid advertising, an end of the year campaign to curb drunk driving fatalities is ready to begin. According to a press release, deputies will be aggressively looking for drunk drivers and arresting all who are caught.

Also, front and back seat belt law violators are warned that tickets will be handed out. Sgt. Paul Lipinski from the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office says:

“You’ll see us out there during this highly visible enforcement period and that drunk driving is simply not worth the risk. Negative consequences like loss of life, jail time, and steep financial obligations make it not worth the risk."

There are currently 878 driving related traffic fatalities this year to date, compared with 991 in the entire year of 2013.