ILLINOIS — The Illinois Department of Transportation and Illinois State Police would like to urge motorists to make good decision during the 4th of July weekend.

That includes making plans in advance to get a sober ride home, calling a cab, taking a mass transit or getting a ride home from a friend if you are impaired, not allowing others who are with you to drive impaired, report impaired drivers to law enforcement officers by pulling your vehicle over and calling 9-11 and lastly making sure that everyone in your vehicle is wearing their seat belt.

Summer is the time when more people are traveling on roadways, which can lead to more motor vehicle crashes, injures and fatalities.

From 2012 to 2016, between June and August, 1,381 people have lost their lives from a motor vehicle crash in Illinois, with 25-percent of those fatalities involving at least one drunk driver.

Between midnight and 3am, over ½ of those fatalities involved at least one drunk driver.

Roadside Safety Checks, impaired driving patrols and seat-belt enforcement’s will be conducted throughout Illinois to help reduce the number of injuries and fatalities during this holiday season.