EFFINGHAM, Ill. – Illinois State Police District 12 Commander, Captain Kelly Hodge, announced this week that officers will conduct special Traffic Enforcement Patrols (sTEP) during the month of May in Clay, Cumberland, Effingham, Fayette, Jasper and Marion counties.
District 12 Troopers will concentrate on speeding, failure to use occupant restraints, and other driving offenses as part of their enforcement efforts. The sTEP program involves a combination of increased enforcement and public information designed to raise public awareness and compliance to all traffic laws. Speeding is a contributing factor in 35 percent of all fatal crashes nationwide. In Illinois, speed-related crashes account for 30 percent of all traffic fatalities. Safety Belt Enforcement Zones may also be used during the sTEP program. Troopers will enforce the primary safety belt law to ensure drivers and all of their passengers are buckled up. Every hour someone dies in America simply because they are not wearing their safety belt. Statistics show that half of all people killed in traffic crashes are not properly buckled up. You can save your life by driving safely and simply buckling up.
Occupant Restraint Enforcement Patrols
District 12 Troopers will also conduct Occupant Restraint Enforcement Patrols (OREP) in Clark, Crawford, Lawrence and Richland counties during the month of May.
OREP allows the ISP to target an area with saturation patrols that focus on traffic violations andrelated 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 lawsthrough education, child seat inspections, and enforcement. Greater awareness, acceptance, anduse of occupant protection equipment will save many lives.
Nighttime Enforcement Patrols
District 12 will also conduct Nighttime EnforcementPatrols (NITE) in Clay and Richland counties during May, 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.
Alcohol and drug impairment is a factor in nearly 40 percent of all fatal motor vehicle crashes inIllinois. These nighttime patrols are designed to keep our roads safe by taking dangerous DUI offenders off the road and ensuring all vehicle occupants are buckled up.
Roadside Safety Check To Be Conducted
District 12 will also conduct Roadside Safety Checks (RSC) in Effingham County during May, according to Hodge.
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.
These projects are funded by the Illinois Department of Transportation, Division of Traffic Safety.