Illinois State Police Troop 9 Commander, Captain Bruce Waggoner, has announced the ISP will be conducting Alcohol Countermeasure Enforcement, or ACE, patrols in Wayne, Clay, White, Lawrence, Marion and Effingham counties during the month of October. The patrols allow the state police to focus on preventing violations associated with impaired driving and illegal transportation or consumption of alcohol or drugs.
Officers working the detail will be on the lookout for motorists showing signs of impaired driving, operating vehicles unsafely, driving with suspended or revoked licenses, and transporting open alcoholic beverages, as well as those not buckled up and improper child restraint usage, distracted driving, and other Illinois Vehicle Code violations.
Police say alcohol and drug impairment are estimated to be a factor in over 47 percent of all fatal motor vehicle crashes in Illinois, with one alcohol-related traffic fatality every 39 minutes in the United States. The ACE patrol project is funded through the Illinois Department of Transportation.