If you have been convicted of drunk driving in Illinois, you may be required to install an ignition interlock device or breath alcohol ignition interlock device (IID and BAIID) in your vehicle. The device requires the driver to blow into a mouthpiece on the device and if the resultant breath-alcohol concentration analyzed result is greater than the programmed BAC, the device prevents your engine from being started.
According to a new study released by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), Ignition interlock systems in cars have prevented 1.77 million attempts at drunk driving since 1999. The report is based on data from the 11 major manufacturers of ignition interlock systems, who are able to track how many times a device stops attempts to drive while intoxicated.
Combined with enforcement efforts, ignition interlocks are the best-proven countermeasure available to stop drunk driving. Today, 25 states including Illinois require ignition interlocks for all offenders and every state in the nation has an ignition interlock law on the books.
States that require ignition interlocks for all offenders have experienced significant reductions in drunk driving fatalities. Illinois interlock devices are credited with stopping 96,456 “.08 Blood Alcohol Concentration” starts and the number of Illinois drunk driving occurrences prevented by interlock devices overall is more than 700,000.
4 out of 5 key components MADD has identified as critical elements of any first time offender law are practiced in Illinois. Among them are penalties for circumvention of interlock devices, indigent funds in order to provide interlock devices at a lower costs as needed, interlocks for first time refusals to take a BAC test, and compliance based removal to ensure that only rehabilitated drivers are eligible for removal. The only element lacking in Illinois is interlock devices available upon arrest to keep offenders from driving on a suspended license.
Illinois DUI laws are strict and can result in fines, penalties and sometimes jail time. If you have been arrested for drunk driving, it is advisable to seek legal advice regarding your options. Attorney Ronald L. Bell has offered many compelling arguments before the courts resulting in favorable outcomes (reduction of DUI penalties) for clients. Many times, scrutiny given to the circumstances behind a traffic stop are often effective in gaining lenient results for people who have been charged with driving while under the influence of alcohol in Illinois. Contact the Law Offices of Ronald L. Bell for help today.