Roadside safety checks planned in local county

Illinois State Police District 22 plans to conduct roadside safety checks during March in Alexander County.

Plans for the roadside safety checks were announced by Lt. Michael Alvey, who is the interim commander of District 22, which has its headquarters in Ullin.

Alvey said in a news release that roadside safety checks “combine a strong sense of public awareness and enforcement in order to save lives of the motoring public.”

Alvey added that the state police have zero tolerance for impaired driving in Illinois. 

He said that officers who are 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. All Illinois Vehicle Code and Criminal Violations.

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

Throughout the United States, nearly 10,000 people die each year due to alcohol-impaired driving.  

Alvey said that roadside safety checks “are designed to keep our roads safe by taking dangerous DUI offenders off the road.”  

This project is funded through the Illinois Department of Transportation.