Anyone who is driving a car while their blood alcohol level is above the legal permissible level of 0.08 percent for non-commercial drivers and 0.04 percent for commercial drivers is subject to stringent drunk driving laws in Illinois. However, drivers under the age of 21 years are not allowed to have any trace of alcohol on their breath or in their blood while driving a motor vehicle. Driving while intoxicated can lead to a slower response from the driver, which has often proved to be fatal for other people on the road, including drivers and occupants of other vehicles.
There are various laws and initiatives that the state government has undertaken in order to help prevent cases of fatal drunk driving accidents. Drivers who have repeatedly violated the laws for responsible, sober driving and who have been convicted of drunk driving on more than one occasion might even be compelled to install an ignition interlock device in order to prevent those drivers from driving drunk in the future.
The ignition interlock device prevents the driver from starting the car without a breath test. In the event that the blood alcohol concentration is reported to be above 0.02 percent, the car will not start. Thus, the chances of a drunk driving accident are reduced to a negligible amount in such cases. People who have to install such an ignition interlock device have a responsibility to do so in all of that driver’s vehicles.
The state government has also taken several initiatives to help mobilize the entire community in order to promote sober driving. Various channels and mass media campaigns have also been initiated to make people aware of the various dangers and risks of drunk driving so that people are discouraged from such a dangerous practice.
Source: CDC.gov, “Sobering facts: Drunk driving in Illinois,” Accessed on Aug. 24, 2015
