A final, end-of-the-year push has begun to lead Illinois to far fewer motor vehicle fatalities than last year and the lowest annual fatality totals since 2009.  The statewide enforcement effort features the familiar messages of “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” and “Click It or Ticket” to remind motorists of the consequences of bad driving behavior.  Holiday motorists can expect hundreds more roadside safety checks, seat belt enforcement zones and other police saturation patrols looking for impaired drivers and seat belt law violators from now through January 1^st.  In 1920, the first year motor vehicle fatalities were recorded, 728 people died on Illinois roads.  In that year, vehicle-miles traveled totaled an estimated 3.46 billion miles.  Nearly a century later, annual fatalities are below 1,000, even though annual vehicle-miles traveled increased 30-fold in that time to 105 billion each year.  In 1920, Illinois’ annual motor vehicle fatality rate was 21.03 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled.  In 2013, that rate was 0.94.  Illinois has an opportunity in 2014 to make even more history by recording one of its lowest annual motor vehicle fatality totals ever, with a chance at achieving an all-time, modern-day low.  As of Wednesday, 878 people have lost their lives on Illinois roads, which is 78 lower than the same timeframe in 2013.  During the 2013 Christmas holiday, two people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes in Illinois.  Both fatalities involved a drinking driver.  Over the last five years in Illinois, 38 fatalities occurred in Illinois during Christmas, 11 of which or 29 percent involved a drinking driver.  Be listening to the Magazine on the V this Sunday morning at 8 o’clock for an interview with Illinois State Police Trooper Watson for a discussion on holiday travel and bad weather travel.