NEWS FROM O’FALLON CITY HALL
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
O’Fallon Police Department Receives IMAGE Grant
O’Fallon, Illinois – January 9, 2008 – Mayor Gary L. Graham is pleased to announce that on December 17, 2007 the O’Fallon Police Department began the second of five campaigns under the Integrated Mini-Grant Enforcement (IMAGE) Grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). The grant program hires back off duty police officers to conduct special enforcement related to speed violations and occupant restraint.
O’Fallon police officers, in conjunction with state and national campaigns, continued to enforce speed and occupant restraint laws and were highly visable in saturation patrols and safety enforcement zones throughout the City of O’Fallon.
The second campaign ran December 17 through December 31. During the period, 211 vehicles were stopped for law violations with 210 citations written. Of that total, 90 citations were for speeding, 73 for occupant restraint violations, and 11 for child restraint violations.
The purpose of the five-part campaign is to reduce the injuries and fatalities associated with traffic crashes. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of five and 24. In 2003, IDOT recorded 1,454 fatalities in Illinois. During 2004, 1,355 persons were killed, and during 2005, 1,319 fatalities occurred. Last year (2006), Illinois recorded less than 1,300 fatalities, the lowest total in Illinois since 1924. Over the same period of time, seal belt compliance increased approximately ten percent (from 75% to 85%). With the increase in vehicles and traffic on the roadways today, this is a significant accomplishment.
“The O’Fallon Police Department is dedicated to saving lives through the use of these saturated patrols and occupant restraint enforcement zones, and we applaud IDOT for funding the grants to make this type of enforcement possible”, said Mayor Graham. “The ultimate goal of the enforcement zones is to obtain voluntary compliance of safety belt usage by every citizen who drives on the streets of our City.”
“Many lives can be saved by changing public attitudes regarding risk-taking behaviors such as speeding, impaired driving, and the non-use of safety belts and child safety seats,” said Police Chief John Betten. “It has been shown that visible enforcement programs that focus on these types of violations offer the greatest potential for changing these behaviors.”
The O’Fallon Police Department Traffic Safety Unit encourages all drivers to buckle up, drive sober, slow down, and drive responsibly.
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Additional Information Contact:
Pamala L. Funk
Assistant City Administrator
624-4500, Ext. 9-1112
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