State police plans special patrols during March

Illinois State Police District 22 is planning to conduct alcohol countermeasure enforcement patrols in Union County during March.

Plans for the patrols were announced by Capt. Michael Alvey, who is the commander of District 22 in Southern Illinois.

The patrols will allow the 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 Illinois State Police have zero tolerance for impaired driving in Illinois. 

Officers working the detail in Union County will be watchful for drivers who are operating vehicles in an unsafe manner, driving with a suspended or revoked driver’s license and transporting open alcoholic beverages.

The detail especially will focus on driving under the following violations: driving under the influence, DUI, safety belt and child restraint use, speeding and distracted driving; as well as all Illinois Vehicle Code and criminal violations.

The state police note that alcohol and drug impairment is a factor in more than 30 percent of all fatal motor vehicle crashes in Illinois. 

There is one alcohol-related traffic fatality every 53 minutes in the United States. 

The alcohol countermeasure enforcement patrols program allows officers to work even harder at removing dangerous DUI offenders from the road. 

The project is funded through the Illinois Department of Transportation.