PESOTUM — Illinois State Police Troop 7 Commander, Captain Heather Apperson, announced on Wednesday that State Police will be conducting Nighttime Enforcement (NITE) patrols in Macon and Vermilion counties during August.
According to the release, NITE patrols allow the state police to focus on preventing, detecting, and taking enforcement action in response to impaired driving and occupant restraint violations especially between the hours of 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.
The number of unrestrained drivers killed in traffic crashes is significantly higher at nighttime and combined with impaired driving means even more traffic deaths during these critical hours.
Officers working the enforcement patrols will be watchful for motorists who show signs of impaired driving, improper seatbelt and child restraint usage, speeding, distracted driving, and other Illinois Vehicle Code violations.
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. This project is funded through the Illinois Department of Transportation.