OPD Holding Holiday Safety Campaigns

During the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, Nov. 23rd through Dec.1st, the O'Neill Police Department participated in the annual Make it Click high-visibility seat belt awareness campaign, writing 19 citations and warnings in the process. The O'Neill Police Department also had three DUI arrests, one resulting from a pursuit during the campaign. The campaign, which coincided with one of the busiest holiday weekends of the year, was twofold: to combine increased awareness of seat belt use, and to provide effective communication to drivers on the importance of buckling up.

The O'Neill Police Department ramped up its usual enforcement efforts, adding a significant increase in saturation patrols. Make It Click is a focused enforcement that saves lives. 

"The goal is to protect citizens of this community, so we've been spreading the message about the dangers of vehicle passengers traveling unbuckled."

For more information about traveling safely this Thanksgiving, please visit www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/ seat-belts.

Also, during this busy winter holiday season, the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the O'Neill Police Department are teaming up to remind drivers:

Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over. NHTSA and law enforcement want all drivers to remember this lifesaving message: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over. This high-visibility impaired driving awareness campaign runs Dec. 11, 2024, through Jan. 1, 2025. In support of the law enforcement community's dedication to protecting the lives of residents in their communities, drivers will see officers working together during the holiday season to take drunk drivers off the roads.

Drivers should be safe during the holidays by planning ahead if they intend to drink. They shouldn't wait until after drinking to plan how to get somewhere. Impairment clouds a person's judgment. Drivers should secure a designated sober driver or call a taxi or rideshare for a sober ride home.

If a driver finds they are unable to drive, they should give their keys to a sober driver so that person can get them home safely. When a friend has been drinking and is considering driving, friends should be proactive - take away the keys and help them get a sober ride home. If anyone spots a drunk driver, contact local law enforcement.

For more information on impaired driving, visit www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving.

Matthew Otte

Chief of Police

O'Neill, Nebraska

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