McDONOUGH COUNTY TASK FORCE TACKLES DUI PREVENTION AND ENFORCEMENT ISSUES

Nationwide, alcohol is estimated to play a role in more than 27 percent of serious injury crashes, according to the 1991 DUI Fact Book published by the Illinois Secretary of State's office. Alcohol-related crashes claim the life of someone every 24 minutes. The number of alcohol-related injuries is staggering.

Nearly 2 million drivers are arrested annually for driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol. In Illinois, the Secretary of State's office recorded 48,609 DUI arrests during 1991.

Alcohol abuse and driving under the influence are national problems with local solutions.

Efforts are underway in McDonough County to reduce the number of fatalities and serious injuries resulting from traffic crashes caused by intoxicated drivers in western Illinois. A task force of local government, law enforcement and judicial officials, educators, health professionals, students and parents has taken up the charge under an $8,324 highway safety seed grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation.

The 20-member task force, organized in late March, is a true community effort like that called for by Terrance D. Schiavone, executive director of the National Commission Against Drunk Driving. In a March 1992 article in U.S. Mayor, he noted that active participation by every element of a community is needed to combat alcohol-related problems.

To provide varying perspectives and expertise, Macomb's Mayor and Liquor Commissioner Tom Carper, Circuit Judge Ronald C. Tenhold, States Attorney William Poncin, an individual directly impacted by a drunk driver, local citizens and representatives from health and law enforcement agencies and secondary and higher education institutions were asked to serve.

Since its formation, the task force has begun the challenge of assessing the local DUI problem and developing a comprehensive action plan for reducing the number of drunk drivers on the county's roadways.

Task force members have proposed additional police patrols for weekend hours, the purchase of camcorders for patrol cars and a seminar for tavern owners, operators and bartenders which is currently in the planning stage. Joint efforts with the local Students Against Drunk Driving (SADD) group and Drug, Alcohol and Wellness Group (DAWG), as well as support for the county's DARE program, are also task force priorities.

The development of a Victim Impact Panel in McDonough County is also under review. The panels, utilized statewide in sentencing of offenders, consist of a small group of victims who describe to DUI offenders, in a non-judgmental way, the impact of an alcohol-related crash on themselves and loved ones.

Changing people's beliefs and behaviors concerning alcohol consumption is not an easy task. Dramatic results will not happen overnight, but each activity offers the hope that even one person's views may begin to change. Strong commitment, communication, shared resources, expertise and interagency cooperation will be keys to the task force's success. •

Kelly Mortimer is a public information specialist in the University Relations Office at Western Illinois University.

October 1992 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 19