The St. Charles Police Department is reminding motorists of the dangers of impaired driving, particularly on Halloween when little ghouls and goblins are out in neighborhoods and on busy streets after dark.

If you plan to be out celebrating, keep this fearsome warning in mind: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over. Oct. 26 through Nov. 1, additional officers will be assigned to DUI and seat belt enforcement.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

• On Halloween Night between 2012 and 2016, 168 people were killed by drunken driving.
• Over those five Halloween Nights (2012-2016), 44 percent of all motor vehicle deaths involved drunken driving.
• Seat belt use is the single most effective way to protect people and reduce fatalities in motor vehicle crashes.
• When lap and shoulder belts are used properly, the risk of fatal injury to front seat passenger car occupants is reduced by 45 percent, and the risk of moderate to serious injury is reduced by 50 percent.

The St. Charles Police Department urges residents to stay safe and protect your neighbors by making a plan to get home without getting behind the wheel on Halloween Night if you’ve been drinking.

You can stay safe and protect your neighbors by following these tips:

• Plan a safe way to get home before you attend a party.
• Designate a sober driver, take public transportation, use your favorite ride-sharing service or call a sober friend or family member to get home.
• Walking while impaired can be just as dangerous as driving impaired. Designate a sober friend to walk you home.
• If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact local law enforcement as soon as it is safe to do so.
• If you see an impaired person about to drive, take their keys and help them get home safely.
• Buckle up: It’s your best defense against impaired drivers.

The extra patrol assignments for DUI and seat belt enforcement are made possible by federal traffic safety funds administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

About the St. Charles Police Department

The St. Charles Police Department provides law enforcement, investigations, traffic and special events, social services, crime prevention, and community outreach services to the St. Charles community. One of the first agencies in the state to be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, the department has retained accreditation since 1989.

The St. Charles Police Department actively supports Special Olympics Illinois and embraces community-oriented service to the 33,000 residents and nearly 2,000 businesses in St. Charles.

The city of St. Charles is located 35 miles west of Chicago, predominantly in Kane County. The city is guided by the four driving principles in its mission: Heritage. Community. Service. Opportunity. Together, these principles create a thriving environment for people who live or visit here, and for businesses to prosper.

More at www.stcharlesil.gov, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vimeo and LinkedIn.