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Beginning New Year’s Day, a new Illinois DUI law will require anyone convicted of driving drunk or under the influence of drugs—even first offenders—to pass a breathalyzer test each time they climb behind the wheel.
How? Each offender’s vehicle will be equipped with a breath alcohol ignition interlock device, or “breathalyzer,” which prevents the car from starting if the driver doesn’t first pass a breath alcohol test. It can even require a follow-up test mid-trip. A message on the device will ask the driver to pull over and take the breathalyzer again. If the driver ignores the message, the car horn will sound. If the driver still refuses to comply, the lights will also begin flashing.
This “monitoring device driving permit” allows those convicted of drunk driving to drive to and from work during a DUI license suspension. It replaces the judicial driving permits that granted the same permissions.
“This is a new and innovative approach to deal with a very serious traffic safety issue,” Secretary of State Jesse White says. “Statistics show breath alcohol ignition interlock devices are very effective in preventing subsequent DUI offenses.”
While nearly 3,000 Illinois drivers currently use the interlock devices, officials expect that to jump to 30,000, says Henry Haupt, spokesman for the Illinois Secretary of State’s office. Motorists pay about $100 to have the units installed on their cars and monthly fees of about $110.
Under the new law, the summary suspension also doubles from six months to 12 months for any motorist failing the breath alcohol test and from six months to 12 months for anyone refusing to take the test.
Source: The News-Gazette, Cyberdrive Illinois