EYES HAVE IT, NOW POLICE CAN CHECK IT

Illinois State Police introduced a high-tech device Tuesday that can measure
a driver's level of fatigue, along with alcohol or drug use, by gauging an
eye's response to light.

EYECHECK resembles a pair of binoculars. Eventually, drivers who are stopped
by state police will be asked to peer into the equipment.

Three flashes of light dilate the pupils, and the equipment then measures
the response to the stimuli, state police Master Sgt. Lincoln Hampton said.

"It can detect the presence of a chemical substance," Hampton said. "It
takes about 60 seconds to analyze."

The equipment works faster and is more efficient than blood and Breathalyzer
tests, he said.

It was developed by the Regional Sleep Disorder Center in Rockford.

One of the four devices available statewide will be tested in the Chicago
area. Hampton does not know how soon the technology will become a standard
part of state police equipment.

Checked-by: Don Beck