Illinois State Police stepping up patrols and safety checks in Cook, DuPage in December
Illinois State Police District 2 Commander Captain Linda Mandat announces state police will be conducting Alcohol Countermeasure Enforcement (ACE) patrols, Special Traffic Enforcement Patrols (sTEP), and Nighttime Enforcement (NITE) patrols in Cook and DuPage counties during December.
• ACE patrols allow the state police to focus on preventing, detecting, and taking enforcement action in response to violations associated with impaired driving and illegal transportation or consumption of alcohol or drugs.
The state police has zero tolerance for impaired driving in Illinois. Officers working the detail will be watchful for drivers who are operating vehicles in an unsafe manner, driving with a suspended or revoked driver's license, transporting open alcoholic beverages, and most importantly: driving under the influence; safety belt and child restraint use; speeding; distracted driving; and all Illinois vehicle code and criminal violations.
Alcohol and drug impairment are factors in more than 30% of all fatal motor vehicle crashes in Illinois.
There is one alcohol-related traffic fatality every 53 minutes in the United States. The ACE program allows officers to work even harder at removing dangerous DUI offenders from the road.
• These sTEPs allow the state police to focus on these fatal four violations which contribute the greatest to traffic crashes and fatalities: driving under the influence, safety belt and child restraint use, speeding and distracted driving.
The state police will increase the daytime and nighttime patrols to ensure the safety of vehicle travelers through enforcement of all traffic safety laws. Impaired driving is a factor in more than 30 percent of traffic deaths in Illinois. Likewise, speeding is a factor in nearly 35 percent of fatal crashes; and, nearly 50 percent of vehicle occupants killed in traffic crashes were known to not be buckled up.
• Nighttime Enforcement patrols allow the state police to focus on preventing, detecting, and taking enforcement action in response to impaired driving and occupant restraint violations especially between the hours of 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.
The number of unrestrained drivers killed in traffic crashes is significantly higher at nighttime and combined with impaired driving means even more traffic deaths during these critical hours.
Officers will strictly enforce violations including: driving under the influence, safety belt and child restraint use, speeding, distracted driving and all Illinois vehicle code and criminal violations.
Alcohol and drug impairment are factors in more than 30% of all fatal motor vehicle crashes in Illinois. Over half of all fatal crashes in Illinois occur at night. The NITE program allows officers to work even harder at removing dangerous impaired drivers from the road and making sure everyone is buckled up.
These projects are funded through the Illinois Department of Transportation.