2008 DUI Statistics Illinois
If you were arrested for a DUI in Illinois, you were not the only person arrested. Roughly 130 people per day were arrested for a DUI. There were 48,000 people in Illinois were arrested in 2008 for the offense of DUI. Nearly 40,000 of those drivers were considered first offenders. In Illinois, there are two statutory offenses to operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. The first offense is known either as driving under the influence (DUI). This offense is based upon a police officer's observations, which can include field sobriety, smell of alcohol and driving.
The second offense is called "per se", which is driving with a BAC of 0.08% or higher. In 2002, all 50 states have made it illegal to drive with a BAC that is 0.08% or higher. Illinois passed a law making it illegal BAC limit was signed into law on July 2, 1997.
In 2008, there were 1,043 traffic fatalities with 434 of those fatalities involving a driver who consumed alcohol. The number of alcohol fatalities has been decreasing. The 434 is the lowest amount since 1982 when the federal government began a standardized tracking of alcohol-related fatalities. 1982 had the highest rate of alcohol related traffic fatalities, with a 1,014 of fatalities involving a drunk driver.
According to the Illinois Secretary of State, the average DUI offender is:
- Male (79 percent arrested are men);
- Age 34 (61 percent are under age 35);
- Arrested between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. on a weekend; and
- Have been caught driving with a BAC of .16, twice the legal limit.
In Illinois, if you are arrested for a DUI, your license will be suspended by the Secretary of State. Your license can be suspended for up to year for violating the statutory summary suspension laws. 92 percent of all drivers arrested for a DUI, lost their driving privileges. 2,187 drivers were under the age of 21 and lost their driving privileges due to "Use It & Lose It" law violations. 21 percent of those arrested for DUI are women. Males between the ages of 21-24 have the highest DUI arrest rate, 26 per 1000 licensed drivers.
Illinois has very harsh DUI laws. The penalties can range from Court Supervision for first offenders to 30 years in prison for repeat offenders. In DuPage County Illinois, a northwest suburban man received a 20 year prison sentence for a DUI conviction in May of 2008. This individual was not involved in accident and refused any field sobriety test. DuPage County is well known by criminal defense attorneys for significant sentences involving DUI Defendants. If you are arrested for a DUI in DeKalb, DuPage, Kane or Kendall County, contact an experienced DUI Attorney who practices in those counties.
