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ILLINOIS -- Illinois State Police District 20 recently honored several troopers for their contributions to Traffic Safety.  Troopers assigned to District 20 were recognized for their efforts in Alcohol and Seat Belt enforcement.

“We may not be unique in many of the programs we participate, but the overall commitment to saving lives is evident”, said Staples.  District 20 Troopers have adopted the philosophy, “Making a Difference – Saving Lives”, this philosophy has helped to reduce District 20’s 2009 traffic crash fatalities to EIGHT, the lowest death toll in its 27 year history. 

Captain Patrick Staples stated, "There are many factors which impact traffic fatalities on state highways, but the most important factor is increased in seat belt compliance." Captain Staples went on to say, "We continue to recognize and support the need to modify driving behavior through education and enforcement to raise traffic safety awareness”. 

The current seatbelt compliance rate for Illinois is 91 percent. District 20 continues to partner with local State Farm Insurance Agents Rod Prentice and Dick Coon to recognize efforts in education and enforcement that have made a difference in saving lives.

Together, a program was developed to review personal injury crashes handled by District 20 troopers to determine the severity of these crashes and whether the occupants were properly belted at the time of the crash.  Troopers qualified for recognition if they had previously cited survivors for failure to wear a seat belt. 

A challenge coin was developed and presented to those troopers who met the criteria determined by the partnership as Alife saving.@ Captain Staples said, "This coin represents the difference these troopers have made through their enforcement efforts." Eleven coins were presented during the recognition as well as Thirteen certificates for Driving Under the Influence and Seat Belt enforcement.  Captain Staples acknowledged "receiving a citation is never popular, but our troopers realize that these efforts do save lives."