Amaro Law Firm posted on its blog on March 23, 2023, that car accidents are the leading cause of injury and death in the United States, reporting 19,937 crashes every day. The 21st official State of the United States of America recently made history after passing a house bill incorporating restricted driving times for people who had been convicted after driving under the influence (DUI). House Bill 2658 officially passed the House on Monday and is making its way to the Senate.
The bill that resulted in restricted driving times
House Bill 2658 is currently heading to the Illinois Senate for further consideration and can be seen as a more sensible approach to applying restricted driving privileges for people convicted of multiple DUIs. According to Forbes, you can be given a DUI for driving under the influence of alcohol or driving under the influence of drugs. The drugs could be over-the-counter, prescription, or illegal.
This bill does not prevent the Secretary of State’s office from revoking a driver’s license, but it allows convicted drivers to apply for a permit if they agree to use a blood-alcohol monitoring device (BAIID). For those who are unsure, the majority of US states and the District of Columbia have a blood alcohol (BAC) limit of 0.08% for drivers aged 21 and older. This means 0.08 grams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood.
This is how convicted drivers will be restricted by the bill
The bill will officially change the Illinois Vehicle Code. If you have been convicted of multiple DUIs, your license will be provoked, however, you can apply for a special restricted driving permit that would allow you to travel anywhere within a 200-mile radius of your home, for six days per week, 12 hours per day, but only after you test for blood alcohol content with the BAIID.
“We believe this will reduce the incidents of driving while under the influence while ensuring drivers are able to drive for other essential purposes. The Mothers Against Drunk Driving as well as the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists agree with us.” – Rep. Ann Williams (D-Chicago).
The state declared it would not issue a BAIID device to anyone involved in a fatal accident while under the influence. And no, the restricted driving times won’t be the only penalty, as there will of course be additional costs involved as well.
The costs involved with the permit
As mentioned, one of the conditions to be met for the permit is to use a BAIID, a breathalyzer that will stop a car from starting if its driver’s BAC is above the set limit. This will obviously not be for free. The Secretary of State’s office will charge you $30 per month to use the BAIID. That’s not all, you will also have to pay a $100 installation fee and a monthly monitoring fee to ensure the device works in your car.
Naturally, some people had an issue with the fees, and we have to agree somewhat. House Democrats were against the financial penalties and stated that sponsors should include fee waivers or reductions for people who may not be able to afford the fees.
The new House Bill will mark a significant victory for the residents of Illinois, especially those who have been touched by the reckless driving of people driving under the influence. We hope this bill, once officially accepted by the Illinois Senate, will be very successful in significantly decreasing the number of daily crashes and will inspire all the other states to follow suit. If you want to stay updated on the status of House Bill 2658, have a look at House Bill 2658 in the Illinois General Assembly.