Tighten Your Belt This Thanksgiving? Bet on it if You're Behind the Wheel in Morton Grove

Talk about holiday turkey: You're driving all over the streets of Morton Grove, let's say, but not wearing a seat belt. All it takes is one person running a stop sign, or one bad move behind the wheel on your part, and it might as well be you stuffed on a plate.

That's why village police and officials are asking residents to take this month's Thanksgiving Day Click It or Ticket Holiday Mobilization seriously. Though the name may not imply it, increased enforcement of seat belt laws will represent a month-long effort, with special attention paid to the time around Turkey Day -- when more kids are out of school, and more drivers crowd the streets (and rush about) to get holiday shopping done. 

"People should have a seat belt on, especially when they're driving," said village trustee Larry Gomberg, a staunch supporter of the police effort. "It's for safety and without a seat belt, people get into accidents and they die. It's not only the law; it's common sense."

Add to that the statistical realities. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, deaths from motor vehicle accidents dipped to about 37,300 -- the lowest number since 1961. Credit the drop to a combination of seat belt enforcement and awareness; if a further large drop in fatalities materializes when 2009 numbers are counted, traffic crash fatalities will reach lows not seen since the early 1950s.

Of course, there's always the temptation to think local cops set up safety belt checkpoints to make easy money. But given the timing of the announcement by Morton Grove police, this is a no-brainer. The combination of hazardous winter weather ahead and frantic drivers out to beat the Black Friday shopping rush means a dangerous double whammy for area motorists. By getting word of the enforcement  efforts out now, Morton Grove police hope to keep residents alert and vigilant -- especially when it comes to those youngsters who would otherwise become the innocent victims of car accidents.

"The Morton Grove Police Department's goal is to save lives, prevent severe injuries and achieve a higher percentage of safety belt compliance through aggressive safety belt enforcement.," Morton Grove commander Michael Fujara said in a written statement.

Morton Grove Police Cmdr. Robert Zielinski told Patch that seat belt fines in Morton Grove run $50. The officer also has the option to write a $55 state citation plus court costs, usually reserved for multiple citations. "We're similar with the nation, with a 92.6 percent [seat belt] compliance -- citizens, non-citizens, anyone driving through town," Zielinski said. "So there's a high degree of cooperation."

The saturation patrols will be run at night, between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., he added. Because the patrols are funded through the state, Illinois Department of Transportation regulations dictate the hours they are run. 

Expect even less tolerance, by the way, if you get caught texting or talking on a cell phone while driving. Even a knucklehead knows it's dangerous to type and drive, but people still do it in alarming numbers. A National Safety Council study released earlier this year reports that more than one in four auto accidents  involve talking and/or texting on cell phones. 

Not that you can talk or text your way out of a ticket, but Morton Grove officials stress you do the right thing this holiday: If you need to talk on the phone or send a text message, pull over to a spot where you're safely out of traffic. After all, if the message or call is that important, you can always take a break from driving. 

Blow off the law, by contrast, and there's always that chance Morton Grove's finest will make you take the break instead – with hefty fines, a suspended license or worse.