The Joilet Police Department is conducting a Drive Sober or Getting Pulled Over campaign from Oct. 28 to Nov. 1. In 2015, there were 10,625 people killed in drunk driving crashes in the United States according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. A drunk driving accident is defined as a crash involving one person with a blood alcohol content of .08 percent or higher. In Illinois, as is the case in all other states plus the District of Columbia, it is illegal to drive with a BAC higher than .08 percent.
Consequences of being convicted of a DUI include substantial penalties, including the possible loss of driving privileges for up to a year. This assumes that there were no injuries or deaths in a given case. The Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign has a variety of tips to help people avoid driving while buzzed or drunk. Among them are to create a plan to get home safely.
Such a plan may include designating a driver or opting for public transportation to and from the event. Individuals who see intoxicated people trying to drive should make an effort to get their keys and help that person get home safely. Those who do spot a drunk or impaired driver on the road are encouraged to call authorities as soon as possible.
The first thing a driver charged with drunk driving may wish to do is call an attorney. An attorney may cast doubt about the results of a blood or breath test. It may also be possible to argue that a field sobriety test was done incorrectly or caused an officer to believe that a driver was impaired because an injury made it hard to walk. Attorneys may also say that symptoms from a medical condition mimicked the effects of alcohol impairment.