SALINE, GALLATIN COs., Ill. - Illinois State Police (ISP) District 19 Commander, Captain Cory Ristvedt, announces the ISP will conduct a Roadside Safety Check (RSC) in Saline County during October.
The use of RSCs combine a strong sense of public awareness and enforcement in order to save lives of the motoring public.
The ISP 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 (DUI);
- Safety Belt and Child Restraint use;
- Speeding;
- Distracted Driving; and,
- All Illinois Vehicle Code and Criminal Violations.
Alcohol and drug impairment is a factor in more than 30 percent of all fatal motor vehicle crashes in Illinois, and throughout the U.S., nearly 10,000 people die each year due to alcohol-impaired driving. RSCs are designed to keep our roads safe by taking dangerous DUI offenders off the road.
As well, ISP will conduct Occupant Restraint Enforcement Patrols (OREP) in Saline and Gallatin counties during October. OREPs allow the ISP to focus on safety belt and child safety seat laws. Illinois law requires all vehicle passengers (front and back) to be buckled up!
Safety belts are still one of the most effective safety devices in vehicles, estimated to save nearly 14,000 lives each year. Half of vehicle occupants killed in a traffic crash were not properly buckled up. The objective of this program is to increase occupant restraint compliance through education, child seat inspections, and enforcement.