The State of Illinois has come up with a new law that addresses the prevalent issue of DUI offenders, particularly with the first timers. Last Jan. 1, the state has eliminated the mandate that designates first time DUI offenders to a 30-day suspension.
First time DUI offenders will still lose their license suspended however this time, they have the option to process with the Illinois Secretary of State to keep driving legally on the condition of installing breath alcohol ignition interlock device on their vehicle.
The Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Device (BAIID) will prevent a DUI offender from returning to the road while intoxicated. The device requires a driver to blow into it before his/her vehicle can get started. If for instance the driver's breath registers a breath-alcohol content equal to .025 or more, the car can't get started.
Moreover, according to Illinois Secretary of State's office, the devices in Illinois are required to have cameras that capture an image of the person who blows into the device. Plus, the device will also record temperature of the breath, time and date, GPS location of the vehicle and the number of breath test failures. This is the countermeasure made to alert the Illinois Secretary of State's office if a driver fails a breath test or tampers with the device.
This new law involving the use of the breathanalyser is yet the best answer to refute the mandatory license suspension which has purportedly frustrated DUI offenders and attorneys, as noted by The McDonough County Voice. Since those with suspended licenses often drive illegally resulting from the tough penalizations, this is in so far the best shot to castigate Illinois DUI offenders especially first timers to avoid committing the same crime.
Moreover, the BAIID costs about $100 per month and an average of $1,000 to $1,200 per year, to install and maintain the device. It is thus expected that this huge amount of money can further discourage first time offenders to drive sober than face all these charges.
The effect of this new law is yet to be seen on the city.
