DUI ARRESTS RISE IN 1995 By SECRETARY OF STATE GEORGE H. RYAN

Illinois has come a long way during the past decade - from having some of the weakest Driving Under the Influence (DUI) laws in the nation, to being viewed by other states as a leader in the fight against drunk and drugged driving.

Although we have made steady progress, there is more to be done. In Illinois, more than 600 people still are killed each year in alcohol-related crashes.

From 1994 to 1995, there was an 8.6 percent increase in drinking and driving violations. During 1995, 44,433 drivers were arrested for DUI and 2,844 underage drivers were given "Use It & Lose It" suspensions for having blood-alcohol concentrations (BACs) of .01 percent or greater, or for refusing to submit to chemical testing.

Under the "Use It & Lose It" law, which became effective Jan. 1, 1995, driving privileges are stripped from underage motorists caught behind the wheel with even a trace of alcohol in their systems. In 1995, a total of 5,592 underage drivers in Illinois were cited for alcohol-related driving offenses, including 2,748 drivers charged with DUI for having BACs of .10 percent or greater, or for refusing testing.

The increase in DUI arrests also points to diligence on the part of law enforcement agencies in cracking down on drunk drivers. Police officers statewide have committed themselves to enforcing Illinois' tough laws. During 1995, 92 percent of the motorists arrested for DUI lost their driving privileges.

The 1995 DUI arrest statistics were released recently in a revamped manual of DUI laws and statistics compiled by the Secretary of State's office. This book is designed to help all motorists of all ages, as well as law enforcement agencies, teachers and traffic safety experts better understand Illinois' DUI laws and their applications.

Too many people still are getting arrested for impaired driving. Awareness about the problem of DUI is high. Law enforcement is vigilant. But we in Illinois need to take the next step. We need to lower the illegal blood-alcohol concentration level for drunk driving from .10 percent to .08 percent.

If the BAG level were lowered to .08, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that we could cut the number of alcohol-related traffic deaths in Illinois by at least 10 percent. That is about 65 lives saved in a year. We need to pass .08 now.

I firmly believe that education is one of our most important tools in the fight to make highways safer. Recently, our office has developed and implemented several new programs offering education to both new and experienced drivers. Available anti-DUI programs include:

• Safe Celebration Student Assemblies - Two DUI crash victims speak to teens about how drunk driving crashes have affected their lives. They also review "Use It & Lose It" and DUI laws. The program is sponsored, in part by the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Chicago.

• DUI and Traffic Safety Speakers - Targeting adults, speakers review DUI laws and other traffic safety issues. When available, DUI victims and/or offender volunteers participate in the presentation.

• "Laura's Story" Video - A 20-minute video program, suitable for use in classrooms, that tells the true story of how a young woman's life has been affected by the tragedy of drunk driving.

• Youth Court - Secretary of State employees assist students in a simulation of a DUI arrest and the subsequent legal steps taken for a person under age 21.

For information about these programs, contact my Driver Services Department at 2701 S. Dirksen Pkwy., Springfield, IL 62723, (217) 785-0400, or 100 W. Randolph, 5th Floor, Chicago, IL 60601, (312) 814-2559.

• Operation Straight ID - This training program educates police officers, owners and employees of liquor stores and bars, and banking industry employees on how to identify fraudulent, fictitious and unlawfully altered drivers licenses and identification cards. For more information, contact Operation Straight ID, 405 Mannheim Rd., Bellwood, IL 60104, (800) 596-2522.

The 1995 DUI arrest numbers serve as a sober reminder that drunk driving is still a serious problem in Illinois. To keep our highways safe, we will remain tough on impaired drivers. The first rule of highway safety is "Don't drink and drive." •

October 1996 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 25