Niles Police To Prevent Holiday Deaths By Cracking Down on Drunk Drivers

• What do you call a sport that combines elements of badminton, tennis and ping pong? Pickleball. And the Morton Grove Park District invites you to a pickleball open house Tuesday at 7 p.m.

• The holiday season is dangerous on the roads, because all those parties bring out drunk drivers, and lots of people are driving to relatives' houses. In order to prevent tragedies, the Niles Police Department is ramping up DUI enforcement from now through Jan. 1, 2014. 

Niles Police Chief Dean Strzelecki warns police will be out looking for drunk drivers and showing zero tolerance. Nationally, in the Decembers from 2007 to 2011, there were  4,169 people killed in crashes that involved drivers with blood-alcohol concentrations of .08 grams per deciliter or higher.

 “The December holiday season is the ‘most wonderful time of the year,’ and we are going to keep our roads safe for travelers heading to visit friends and family,” said Chief Strzelecki.  "If you choose to drive drunk, we will see you, we will stop you, and you will be arrested.”

Drunk drivers often face jail time, the loss of their driver licenses, higher insurance rates, and dozens of other unanticipated expenses ranging from attorney fees, court costs, car towing and repairs, to lost wages due to time off from work, according to police. Even worse, a drunk driver can cause a traffic crash that claims someone’s life, or their own.

Police suggest following these tips to keep the holidays safe and happy:

·       Even one drink can impair your judgment and increase the risk of getting arrested for driving drunk—or worse, the risk of having a crash while driving.

·       If you will be drinking, do not plan on driving.  Plan ahead; designate a sober driver before the party begins.

·       Be responsible. If someone you know is drinking, do not let that person get behind the wheel.

·       If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact law enforcement. Your actions may save someone’s life, and inaction could cost a life.