Lee County Sheriff’s Office begins Independence Day safety campaign

DIXON – The Lee County Sheriff’s Office will have “stepped-up” Fourth of July traffic enforcement with a focus on impaired and unbuckled drivers, officials said in a news release.

The safety campaign starts Friday and runs through the early-morning hours of July 5 to encompass three summer weekends leading up to and after Independence Day.

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

The department offers 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 or a sober friend or family member to get home safely.
• Promptly report drunk drivers to law enforcement by pulling over and dialing 911.
• Make sure everyone in your vehicle wears their seat belt.

“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 a media campaign, according to the release.