State police patrols target DUI offenders

Illinois State Police District 22 conducted alcohol countermeasure enforcement patrols during December in Alexander County.

Lt. Michael Alvey, the interim commander of District 22, has announced statistics that were compiled from the patrols.

Alvey noted in a news release that the patrols allowed 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 following violations and enforcement activities were reported from the patrols:

Driving under the influence, DUI, citations, one. Other alcohol/drug citations, one. Occupant restraint offenses, two. 

Registration offenses, three.

Driver’s license offenses, two. Insurance violations, two.

Total citations/arrests, 18. Total written warnings, 37.

“Alcohol and drug impairment is a factor in more than 30 percent of all fatal motor vehicle crashes in Illinois,” Alvey stated.

“There is one alcohol-related traffic fatality every 53 minutes in the United States,” he added.

Alvey stated that the alcohol countermeasure enforcement program “allows officers to work even harder at removing dangerous DUI offenders from the road.”

The project was funded through the Illinois Department of Transportation.