DUI Laws and Penalties in Chicago

What is DUI?

Driving under influence (DUI) is when a person is driving a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. DUI is a criminal offense for which there are some costly penalties. In some countries, DUI is also known as DWI or driving while intoxicated. Whether a driver is drunk or not is verified by testing his Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) level, which is the percentage of alcohol contained in the blood.

DUI Laws in Chicago

According to the DUI laws in Chicago, if your BAC level is 0.08 or above, you will be arrested immediately for committing DUI offense. Given the circumstances, it is also possible to get arrested for DUI even when your BAC level is under 0.08. The examples of such circumstances could be when a police officer thinks that alcohol or drugs intake has impaired your driving or if you are under 21 and drunk. Remember that the legal drinking age is 21 in Illinois.

What are Field Sobriety Tests?

According to the Chicago DUI laws, police officers required to first conduct the Field Sobriety Tests (FSTs) before testing BAC. FSTs are conducted when a police officer thinks that driver has violated any traffic rule or was driving irregularly. It is also conducted in Sobriety Checkpoint Zone where a road block is set up by police to check random drivers for possible DUI. There are numbers of FSTs that can be used for testing DUI, but commonly used ones are: walk and turn, one-leg standing, and horizontal gaze nystagmus. The Chicago Police have the right to take anyone in custody who fails to perform properly in FSTs and take him to the police station for BAC test.

How BAC is Tested?

There are various means of testing BAC, but the widely used one is a breathalyzer. A Breathalyzer is a device used to check alcohol content in a person’s breath. Although breathalyzer test is not mandatory, but refusing to taking it would mean facing serious consequences and suspension of driving license. If your breathalyzer test shows BAC level of 0.08, you will be charged with DUI penalties.

Penalties For DUI in Chicago

In Chicago, DUI penalties increase depending on first, second, and third time conviction. If you are convicted for DUI for a first time, you will be charges with up to one year prison time, up to $2,500 of fine, and at least one year of license suspension. For second time charges are: five days to one year of prison time, up to $2,500 of fine, and five years of license suspension. For third time charges are: three to seven years of prison time, up to $2,500 of fine, and at least 10 years of license suspension.

How a DUI lawyer in Chicago can Help?

When you are caught for DUI in Chicago, it is important not to do anything reckless that could make things worse. In such situations, it is better to take a professional’s help rather than trying to deal with it on your own. Therefore, when you are caught for DUI in Chicago you must immediately call your DUI attorney in Chicago to handle things for you. How this will help you? A good DUI lawyer in Chicago can get your sentence and penalties reduced or can even save you from spending years in prison.

Remember

These were some important DUI laws in Chicago that you need to keep in mind, if you live in Chicago. Drunk driving is not safe for you and for the pedestrians. Therefore, DUI laws were introduced for your own and for everyone’s safety. Drive safe!