Public invited to submit stories for safety campaign

The Illinois Department of Transportation, IDOT, is seeking real stories from people who have lost loved ones or otherwise been affected by poor choices and driving behaviors. 

The stories will be used as a part of Life or Death Illinois, IDOT’s ongoing effort to encourage better driving habits and reach zero deaths on Illinois roads.

“Traffic crashes and fatalities do not just represent statistics, but names and faces of people with families and loved ones who care about them,” said Cynthia Watters, IDOT’s bureau chief of safety programs and engineering. 

“The choices we all make in our daily travels can change your life or someone else’s forever. By sharing these stories, we hope to honor victims and save lives.”

The stories will be used as part of the following campaigns: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, Click It or Ticket, distracted driving awareness, work zone safety, motorcycle safety, bicycle safety and pedestrian safety.

To submit a story for consideration, visit LifeorDeathIllinois.com.

Last year, 1,047 people died on Illinois roads, according to provisional IDOT statistics, marking the third consecutive year of more than 1,000 traffic fatalities, among the highest totals in a decade.

In response, IDOT in 2018 launched Life or Death Illinois to spotlight the importance of safe driving and appeal to audiences to stop and consider the seriousness of the issues on the state’s roads.

Made possible by federal traffic safety funds administered by IDOT, Life or Death Illinois runs throughout the year on various media, including digital billboards, social media and online platforms, as well as traditional radio and TV safety messages.