Illinois police to increase safety checks for impaired driving throughout July

Illinois — Illinois State Police on Monday announced that they will be conducting extra roadside safety checks during the month of July throughout northern Illinois.

ISP Troop 3 Cmdr. Capt. Patrick Manno issued a statement that the safety checks will take place in Cook, Will, Grundy, DuPage and Kane counties throughout the month.

The checks will focus on trying to prevent impaired driving to improve road safety.

“The use of [road safety checks] combine a strong sense of public awareness and enforcement in order to save lives of the motoring public,” Manno said.

According to the announcement, ISP officers doing the checks will “be watchful for motorists who show signs of impaired driving, operating vehicles in an unsafe manner, driving with a suspended or revoked driver’s license, and transporting open alcoholic beverages, as well as improper seat belt and child restraint usage, distracted driving, and other violations.”

Alcohol and drug impairment will be heavy focuses of the checks, and Manno noted that state police have zero tolerance for impaired driving.

According to the agency, alcohol and drug impairment are estimated to be a factor in more than 47% of all fatal motor vehicle crashes in Illinois, and cause one traffic fatality every 39 minutes across the U.S.

The increased checks are being funded through the Illinois Department of Transportation.