ISP will conduct Alcohol Countermeasure Enforcement (ACE), Distracted Driving Enforcement, Nighttime Enforcement (NITE), and Occupant Restraint Enforcement (OREP). ACE will take place in Champaign County, the Distracted Driving Enforcement will be in Champaign, Macon, and Vermilion counties, NITE will be in Macon and Vermilion counties, and OREP will be in Champaign County.

ACE patrols allow the ISP 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 ISP has zero tolerance for impaired driving in Illinois. Alcohol and drug impairment are estimated to be a factor in more than 47% of all fatal motor vehicle crashes in Illinois. There is one alcohol-related traffic fatality every 39 minutes in the country. The program allows officers to work harder at removing dangerous DUI offenders from the road.

Distracted driving can also take the driver’s attention away from driving. Distractions can increase a driver’s risk of being in an accident. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, over 3,000 people are killed a year in crashes involving distracted driving, with one in every 10 injury crashes involving a distracted driver.. Just reading one text can take a driver’s eyes off the road for an average of five seconds.

NITE allows for ISP to focus on preventing, detecting, and taking enforcement action in response to impaired driving and occupant restraint violations between the hours of 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. The number of unrestrained drivers killed in traffic crashes is significantly higher at night and combined with impaired driving means even more traffic deaths during these hours. Alcohol and drug impairment are estimated to be a factor in more than 47% of all fatal motor vehicle crashes in Illinois. Over half of all fatal crashes in Illinois occur at night. The NITE program allows officers to work even harder at removing dangerous impaired drivers from the road and making sure everyone is buckled up.

OREPs allow the ISP to focus on safety belts and child safety seat laws. State law requires all vehicle passengers, in the front and back seats, to be buckled up. Safety belts are still one of the most effective safety devices in vehicles, estimated to save over 14,000 lives each year. Nearly half of vehicle occupants killed in traffic crashes were not buckled up. The objective of the program is to increase occupant restraint compliance through education, child safety seat inspections, and enforcement.

All projects are funded through the Illinois Department of Transportation.