EFFINGHAM ISP DIST. 12—ISP District 12, headquartered in Effingham, has announced various patrols for the month of December in several of the north counties areas of Disclosure’s coverage.
District 12 will conduct Nighttime Enforcement Patrols (NITE) in Clark and Cumberland Counties during December, according to Commander, Captain Kelly Hodge.
The ISP has zero tolerance for impaired drivers. Therefore, officers working NITE patrols 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, Driving Under the Influence (DUI), and are not properly buckled up.
Also, ISP will conduct Alcohol Countermeasure Enforcement (ACE) patrols in Effingham County during the month of December. The ACE patrols allow the ISP to target an area with saturation patrols that focus on preventing, detecting, and taking enforcement action in response to violations associated with impaired driving and illegal transportation or consumption of alcohol and other drugs.
Across the country, an average of one alcohol-related traffic death occurs every 51 minutes. Alcohol and drug impairment remain significant factors in nearly 40 percent of all fatal motor vehicle crashes in Illinois. Each year in Illinois, hundreds of lives are lost in alcohol-related crashes. Don’t risk losing your license, your car, and your freedom. If you drive impaired, law enforcement will arrest you.
District 12 will also conduct Roadside Safety Checks (RSC) in Fayette County during December. Officers working this 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, or Driving Under the Influence (DUI). Alcohol and drug impairment is a significant factor in nearly 40 percent of all fatal motor vehicle crashes in Illinois. RSCs are designed to keep our roads safe by taking dangerous DUI offenders off the road.
And finally, Occupant Restraint Enforcement Patrols (OREP) in Jasper, Lawrence, Clay, Richland, Cumberland and Clark counties during the month of December. 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 also 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 in vehicles today, estimated to save over 12,000 lives each year. Over 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.
These projects are funded through the Illinois Department of Transportation, Division of Transportation Safety.