The new year has brought about a lot of changes, some good, some bad. In a lot of states, new laws went into effect, and Illinois had several new laws come into effect. One of the major ones is the new law against drinking and driving.

 

 

Until recently, it was at either a police officer or court's discretion what would happen to you if you were pulled over for drinking and driving. Depending on a lot of variables, you could be let go with a warning, you could be cited for a lesser offense, or you could have to submit to sobriety testing and/or jail time. If you were convicted of driving under the influence or driving while intoxicated, you could often deal with just a short term license suspension, fines, or even just attending a safety class... that was before January 1st, 2009. Now, the law has become a lot more strict.... if you are convicted of driving under the influence or driving while intoxicated, even on your first offense, you will face a lot more than just a slap on the wrist. You will have to deal with a lot of fines, jail time, insurance hikes, and now you will have to deal with a breathalyzer just to start your vehicle. If the machine detects alcohol on your breath, it will fail you and not allow you to start the vehicle. You can try a second time, but if you fail the second time, you will have to wait until it resets before you can try again. Now, some people will be tempted to cheat the system by having someone else blow for them... well, if you are caught helping someone bypass it, YOU are violating a FEDERAL statute, and are subject to federal prosecution for tampering with the device.

 

 

There was a time where the police never even wondered if you were driving while intoxicated or driving under the influence... but those days are long gone. Police are cracking down on buzzed and drunk drivers like crazy, and if you decide that you are going to drive buzzed or drunk in Illinois, be prepared for some serious damage to your wallet and status. Remember... ignorance of the law is not an excuse... that's why I'm letting you know this. Be careful out there!

 

 

This rant written by Joe Rosendorf Jr.  This is merely an opinion based on personal experiences, and is intended to inform based on those experiences.