Illinois DUI Lawyer Blawg
Thanks to improved awareness, harsher penalties, and significant legislative efforts, drunk driving fatalities in Illinois have decreased by over 37 percent between 2002 and 2012. Alcohol-impaired driving remains a serious problem in Illinois and throughout the country. In the United Staes in 2013, one person every 52 minutes was killed due to a drunk driving accident.
In 1982, former Secretary of State and Governor Jim Edgar helped found the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists (AAIM), an independent non-profit group and Illinois’ first citizens’ task force. AAIM recently collected data regarding DUI arrests, accidents, and fatalities in 2013.
Of the individuals who died in motor vehicle crashes in 2013, 35 percent of the fatalities were a result of alcohol impairment. AAIM Executive Director Rita Kreslin indicated that Illinois has approximately 350 drunk driving-related deaths per year.
AAIM collected data regarding the DUI arrest rates of various state police departments. In 2013, the Chicago Police Department made 3,395 DUI arrests with a rate of .28 DUI arrests per officer. This figure is down approximately 11 percent from 2012, in which the department made 3,795 arrests. The Illinois State Police troopers conducted 9,302 DUI arrests in 2013 at a rate of 5.12 DUI arrests per officer. This force conducted approximately 29 percent more arrests than the 7,220 in 2012. The Secretary of State Police, a department charged with enforcing laws on vehicle registration and sales, made 14 DUI arrests in 2013, at rate of .12 DUI arrests per officer. Ms. Kreslin praised the departments with higher DUI arrest rates for “saving lives.”
The eight Illinois counties with the highest DUI arrest rates include: (1) Lake County (348 arrests at a rate of 1.49 DUI arrests per officer); (2) Cook County (306 arrests at a rate of .63 DUI arrests per officer); (3) Winnebago County (295 arrests at a rate of 1.78 DUI arrests per officer); (4) Will County (262 arrests at a rate of 1.28 DUI arrests per officer); (5) DuPage County (245 arrests at a rate of .64 DUI arrests per officer); (6) LaSalle County (213 arrests at a rate of 5.46 DUI arrests per officer); (7) DeKalb County (191 arrests at a rate of 1.95 DUI arrests per officer); and (8) Champaign County (185 arrests at a rate of 1.44 DUI arrests per officer). (See the entire list here.)
The eight Illinois city police departments with the highest DUI arrest rates (excluding Chicago) include: (1) Rockford (556 arrests with a rate of 1.95 arrests per officer); (2) Naperville (553 arrests with a rate of 3.39 arrests per officer); (3) Decatur (485 arrests with a rate of 2.96 arrests per officer); (4) Springfield (410 arrests with a rate of 1.65 arrests per officer); (5) Carol Stream (392 arrests with a rate of 6.43 arrests per officer); (6) Elmhurst (300 arrests with a rate of 3.95 arrests per officer); (7) Normal (279 arrests with a rate of 3.53 arrests per officer); and (8) Rock Island (274 arrests with a rate of 3.30 arrests per officer). (See the entire list here.)
If you have been charged with a DUI crime in Illinois, it is crucial to speak to an experienced Illinois DUI lawyer as soon as possible. Harvatin Law Offices, PC provides knowledgeable representation for those in Springfield and throughout Illinois. We have considerable experience defending individuals charged with DUI offenses. To learn more and to set up a free initial consultation, contact us online or call us at 217.525.0520.
More Blog Posts:
Illinois Appellate Court Reverses Defendant’s DUI Based on Officer’s Fourth Amendment Violation, Illinois DUI Lawyer Blawg, February 13, 2015
Illinois Bar Association Seeks to Amend DUI Laws, Illinois DUI Lawyer Blawg, January 7, 2015
Illinois Appellate Court Reverses Felony DUI Based on Judge’s Improper Response to Deliberating Jurors, Illinois DUI Lawyer Blawg, December 2, 2014