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Statistics show that drunk drivers whose licenses are suspended continue to drive: According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) , "50-75% of drunk drivers whose licenses are suspended continue to drive. 32% of suspended second-time offenders and 61% of suspended third time offenders received violations or were in crashes during their suspension. Unlicensed drivers are 4.9 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than properly licensed drivers.” Also, according to MADD, "interlock systems (BAIID) have reduced repeat DWI offenses among convicted drinking drivers in Maryland, California, and other states by 50% to 90%. There were 1,987 driver’s license revocations in Illinois between the years 2003 and 2005. According to MADD, 50-75% of these people are driving without a license. This totals between approximately 995 to as many as 1,490 who could be driving on our roads and highways without a license, insurance or a BAIID. According to another study conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, at least 3.7% of these drivers (driving on a revoked license)—74 separate individuals—may be involved in a fatal crash!! Consider that these statistics are only for a three-year period. How many licenses were revoked before the year 2003? How many more have been revoked since 2005? How many more will be revoked in the future? How many more lives may be lost? Please support the amendment to Section 625, IL Vehicle Code and help save lives. How Will This Amendment Help To Keep Our Streets and Highways Safer?
Given all the facts, doesn't it make sense to provide driving relief to the fourth or subsequent conviction offenders within a certain time period after the fourth conviction?…and require a Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Device (BAIID)? Wouldn't it be better to know that these repeat offenders cannot start their vehicles if under the influence of alcohol? Right now many are driving without a license or insurance. If they do drink, there is nothing stopping them from driving and endangering the public safety. Illinois law mandates a lifetime driver's license revocation - not eligible for driver relief after a fourth or subsequent conviction: It does not matter whether it is for a DUI with a BAC in excess of .08, BAC of .16 or greater, involves child endangerment, or was an aggravated DUI (resulting in great bodily harm or death). The penalty is the same no matter what. Some alcoholics with lifetime revocation feel their life is over: They have nothing to lose. Many start driving without a license and the penalty (jail) may not be considered worse than the penalty of not being able to drive for the rest of their lives. In this case they will be driving without any BAIID or insurance and could be driving while under the influence and endangering society. People with older (before 1993) DUI Convictions that have lifetime revocations feel that the law is unfair to them: At the time of the convictions, many attorneys advised their clients to plead guilty to save money on trials. The records would be cleared within five years, so why bother fighting the DUI? Drivers would forget about these DUIs after a couple of years. Unfortunately for them, the law changed in 1993 to ten years, and in 1997 it changed to twenty years. Prior convictions stand, even though the accused may have been innocent at the time. Cases cannot be reopened or records expunged. These individuals feel that the law is unfair; and many continue to drive without a license, without insurance and, most importantly, without a BAIID. |
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