STEPHENSON COUNTY — The Stephenson County Sheriff’s Office partnered with the Illinois Department of Transportation and law enforcement across the state for the 2019 holiday “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign. From Dec. 16 through Jan. 2. Law enforcement showed zero tolerance for impaired driving, unbuckled drivers and arrested nine offenders for misdemeanor offenses.

The Stephenson County Sheriff’s Office also took the following enforcement actions: Nine citations for no seat belt, two citations for no car seat, three citations for distracted driving, 13 citations for speeding and eight other citations.

The Stephenson County Sheriff’s Office ramped up its usual enforcement efforts during the holiday season, adding 35 hours of extra patrol. Extra emphasis was placed on late-night hours, when statistics show most unbuckled and impaired driving fatalities occur.

The Illinois “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign is administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation with federal highway safety funds managed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.