The following is a press release from the Illinois State Police:

The Illinois State Police (ISP) today recognized McDonough County area organizations that played key roles in making the roadways in McDonough County the safest they have been in more than fifty years, as traffic crash fatalities for 2009 in McDonough County were kept at zero.

During 2009, McDonough County was one of only 15 counties throughout Illinois with zero traffic crash fatalities.

Representatives from the organizations in attendance were presented with certificates of appreciation in recognition of their contribution in achieving this historic milestone.

Research conducted with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) revealed that it has been more than fifty years, since McDonough County has had zero traffic crash fatalities.

IDOT records, with data going back as far as 1958, confirmed that McDonough County has had traffic crash fatalities every year since 1958, with the exception of 2009.

Previously from 1958 to 2008 the year with the lowest number of traffic crash fatalities in McDonough County was 1960 with one fatality.

During this same period in McDonough County there were two years, 1966 and 1975, which accounted for the highest number of fatalities, in each of these years 16 people were killed as a result of fatal traffic crashes.

For the entire period from 1958 to 2009, 374 people were killed on the roadways of McDonough County in fatal traffic crashes.

Provisional data from IDOT also indicated that during 2009 only 15 of the 102 counties in Illinois had zero traffic crash fatalities, which was up from only seven counties with zero in 2008.

The 15 counties in 2009 with zero traffic crash fatalities include: Bond, Brown, Calhoun, Crawford, Edwards, Hamilton, Jasper, Lawrence, McDonough, Mercer, Morgan, Putnam, Saline, Scott, and Wayne.

The enforcement and prosecution efforts of ISP District 14, McDonough County law enforcement agencies, and the McDonough County States Attorney has aggressively targeted traffic violations known to be contributing factors in fatal traffic crashes.

Focusing on the Fatal Five violations of speeding, failure to wear safety belts, improper lane usage, following too closely, and driving under the influence has no doubt contributed to this fatality reduction.

Law enforcement agencies in McDonough County have incorporated many different enforcement strategies such as saturation patrols, roadside safety checks, seatbelt enforcement zones, alcohol counter measures enforcement, occupant restraint enforcement patrols, campus/tap patrols, and special traffic enforcement patrols with the goal to save lives and increase voluntary compliance with traffic laws known to contribute to fatal traffic crashes.

Vigorously pursuing prosecution of offenders in McDonough County certainly has contributed to zero traffic crash fatalities through increasing voluntary compliance and removing unsafe drivers from the roadways.

The Illinois State Police with the recognition of McDonough County’s historic milestone in fatal traffic crash reduction encourages communities to recognize that saving lives on our roadways is a team effort that can be achieved and challenges other communities to do the same.

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Click here to read the full press release.