ILLINOIS, June 7 - Multimedia message: no extra lives, respawns when you are behind the wheel

SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois Department of Transportation is launching "It's Not a Game," a multimedia safety campaign that drives home the message there are no extra lives, no respawns and no second chances to get it right when you are behind the wheel. "It's Not a Game" continues the comprehensive approach by IDOT to reduce injuries and fatalities associated with motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians, seatbelt use, work zones as well as impaired and distracted driving.

"The rising number of traffic fatalities in Illinois and across the country is deeply concerning, especially since almost all of them are preventable," said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. "‘It's Not a Game' is a clever way to reinforce the message that bad choices can cost you your life or someone else's and the only acceptable number of fatalities is zero."

The creative material relies on the appearance of an old-school video game platform to educate drivers that safety is not a game, comes with real consequences and everyone is a winner when "wreck-less" driving is the shared goal.

According to provisional data, 1,341 people died on Illinois roads in 2021, the sixth consecutive year of more than 1,000 traffic fatalities in the state, mirroring a national trend in recent years. This year, there have been 448 deaths in Illinois, based on preliminary statistics through May 31.

"It's Not a Game" is made possible by federal traffic safety funds administered by IDOT.