Breathalyzer-type gadget use doubles under new law
CHICAGO (AP) - Several thousand Illinoisans won't be able to just hop in their cars and leave if they have one too many drinks at a Fourth of July party.
That's thanks to a law that took effect Jan. 1. It requires even first-time DUI offenders to install breathalyzer-type gadgets that prevent engines from starting until drivers prove they're sober.
According to the Illinois secretary of state, at least 7,000 Illinoisans have had to use the devices so far this year. That's up from about 3,000 in all of 2008 under an old law that mostly targeted multiple DUI offenders.
DUI lawyer Harold Wallin says he's surprised the 2009 number isn't higher.
But thousands of people appear to be choosing to lose their driving privileges instead. Wallin says many people don't want to pay to install the devices and others are too embarrassed to have them in their cars.
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
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