The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department and Caseyville Police Department recently announced they have started increased impaired driving and seat belt enforcement and will continue through Jan. 4, 2015.

Light at a police station / Photo by Roger Starkey

Caseyville Police are participating in the Sustained Traffic Enforcement Program, funded by a grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation. STEP is focused on specific times of the year and on specific times of the day when data shows alcohol-involved and unrestrained traffic crash fatalities are the highest. According to data from the Illinois Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the midnight to 3 a.m. timeframe is the deadliest time on Illinois roadways, largely because of alcohol-related crashes.

St. Clair County Sheriff’s deputies will be aggressively looking for drunk drivers and seat belt violators during the crackdown, the department said.

“You’ll see us out there during this highly visible enforcement period,” Sheriff Richard Watson said. “Drunk drivers will be arrested and those not observing seat belt laws will be ticketed.”