As 2015 comes to a close, the Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois State Police and nearly 200 law enforcement agencies throughout the state will be working overtime this New Year’s holiday weekend.  The effort has one simple goal, which is to save lives and reduce fatalities and serious injuries on Illinois roadways.  During this final day of 2015 and the beginning of a new year, hundreds of additional law enforcement hours, funded through federal highway safety funds administered by IDOT, will provide additional roadside safety checks, seat belt enforcement zones and other patrols, reminding motorists to “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” and “Click It or Ticket.”  Illinois State Police troopers will be stepping up patrols on New Year’s Eve looking for Fatal Four violations: DUI, Speeding, Distracted Driving and Seatbelt Compliance,” said ISP Colonel Tad Williams.  Over the last five New Year’s holiday periods, which include New Year’s Eve, an average of 39 people died on Illinois roads, with 2,845 injured, according to IDOT data.  Seventeen, or 44 percent, of those 39 individuals, died in crashes involving at least one driver who had been drinking.  During last year’s New Year’s holiday period, 10 people lost their lives and 856 were injured in motor-vehicle crashes.  Five of the 10 fatalities resulted from crashes in which a driver had been drinking.  The public can do their part to make this a safe holiday weekend and achieve zero fatalities by planning ahead and designating a sober driver before going out and giving that person your keys.  If you’ve been drinking, call a taxi, use mass transit or call a sober friend or family member.  Promptly report drunk drivers you see on the roadways to law enforcement.  While on the road, always wear your seat belt and make sure all passengers are safely buckled up.  It is your best defense against a drunk driver.