(KFVS) - The Illinois State Police District 13 Interim Commander, Lieutenant Thomas Stehley announced Tuesday that troopers will be watching construction zones closely while improvements are being made to area roads.

ISP says each year, hundreds of work zones present hazards, inconveniences and delays to drivers. According to ISP, state-wide in 2009, provisional data shows 31 people were killed in work zone crashes, 25 of those deaths were driver or passenger, five were construction workers and one pedestrian.

According to ISP, on Feb. 2, random details were implemented at I-57, mile post 65 near West Frankfort. They say troopers wrote nine citations and 10 warnings for cellphone use in a construction zone along with, 11 citations and three warnings for speeding through a construction zone.

(KFVS) - The Illinois State Police are warning driver to take the necessary precautions before getting behind the wheel.

ISP says car safety is equally important to driving safety while on the roads. Extreme weather can have a devastating impact on driving conditions, especially when ice and snow are involved.

“Although our area of the state experiences less snowfall than the northern region, we do have our share of ice storms,” said Lieutenant Steve Shields, District 22 Interim Commander.  “People need to remember that, regardless of the type of vehicle they drive, nothing handles well on ice.  Please don’t have a false sense of security and decide to travel during an ice storm.  Doing so puts many lives at risk.”

ISP offers the following safety tips for drivers to keep in mind during the winter months:

(KFVS) - Lt. Governor Sheila Simon is accepting applications for the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) subcommittee of the Governor’s Rural Affairs Council (GRAC).

The subcommittee will work to improve EMS services throughout rural Illinois.  It's charged with identifying barriers to providing adequate EMS service in rural Illinois. Among those challenges are long ambulance response times that put patients at risk and recruiting and retaining the qualified emergency medical service personnel necessary to provide life-saving care to citizens in need, according to Lt. Gov.