Stricter DUI Penalties in Illinois: Ignition Interlock Devices for First-time Offenders

Though there is never an acceptable occasion to drive while intoxicated, officers hand out drunk driving tickets everyday. Some of these arrests may be made against repeat offenders, but for many, it is their first alcohol-related charge.

In Illinois, many people with only one drunk driving conviction will be forced to install breath alcohol ignition interlock devices in their cars. This device might also find itself in the vehicles of those persons who refused to take a Breathalyzer, but agree to a Monitored Device Driving Permit in exchange for their previously suspended license.

The breath alcohol ignition interlock device is a handheld device that is installed in the ignition of an offender’s car. It measures the blood alcohol content of the driver, and won’t allow the car to start if alcohol is detected. It will also require breath samples when the car is moving, so that a drunk person can’t simply rely on a sober person to start his/her car. All results from the device are stored and communicated to authorities.

The cost of the device and it’s continued operation will be the responsibility of the DUI offender.

While the new, harsher regulation may stop a repeated offender from drinking and driving, it also has the unfair potential to be a humiliating procedure for first-time offenders, or those that were wrongly convicted. To avoid either of these fates, an experienced DUI defense attorney must evaluate your case, and help you achieve a fair trial.