COLLINSVILLE — Illinois State Police District 11 Commander Capt. Joe Kollins announced that the Illinois State Police may conduct Roadside Safety Checks in St. Clair or Madison counties during February.
The checks aim to generate voluntary compliance by the motoring public. The potential to come across these checks encourages motorists to arrange designated drivers, keep their consumption of alcohol within allowable limits, or not drive a motor vehicle after drinking. Safety checks are designed to keep roads safe by taking dangerous DUI offenders off the road.
Across the country, an average of one alcohol-related traffic death occurs every 45 minutes. Alcohol and drug impairment are significant factors in more than 40 percent of fatal motor vehicle crashes in Illinois. Each year in Illinois, hundreds of lives are lost in alcohol-related crashes.
Officers also will be watchful for drivers operating vehicles in an unsafe manner, driving with a suspended or revoked driver’s license, and transporting open alcoholic beverages.
The checks are funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The grant is administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation, Division of Traffic Safety.
Occupant Restraint Enforcement Patrols
Kollins also announced that the Illinois State Police will conduct Occupant Restraint Enforcement Patrols in St. Clair or Madison counties during February.
OREP allows the ISP to target an area with saturation patrols that focus on traffic violations and related compliance with safety belt and child safety seat laws. Safety belt enforcement zones will be set up to ensure the driver and passengers are buckled up. Illinois law requires all vehicle passengers, front and back, to be buckled up.
Safety belts are one of the most effective safety devices, estimated to save more than 16,000 lives each year. More than half of vehicle occupants killed in a traffic crash were not properly buckled up.
The objective of this program is to increase compliance of occupant restraint laws through education, child seat inspections and enforcement. Greater awareness, acceptance and use of occupant protection equipment will save many lives.
This project is funded through the Illinois Department of Transportation, Division of Traffic Safety.