Impaired Driving In Illinois Drunk Driving

While the basic concept of impaired driving is not hard to grasp, that doesn’t mean Illinois drunk driving laws are simple, or that charges of driving under the influence (DUI) are so lacking in complexity that just anybody can understand and defend against them.

DUI is defined in Illinois as operating a motor vehicle while impaired by alcohol or drugs, including medically prescribed marijuana. Since mid-July 1997, Illinois has used a blood alcohol content (BAC) level of 0.08 percent or above as the standard definition of DUI. An individual with a BAC between 0.05 percent and 0.08 percent can be convicted of DUI if there is additional evidence of impairment.

In 2013, there were over 34,000 DUI arrests in Illinois (over 10,000 in Cook County and over 24,000 in other parts of the state). According to statistical data from the Illinois Secretary of State, DUI arrestees are predominantly male (77% of those arrested on DUI charges), under age 35 (58%), and arrests are most common between the hours of 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. on weekends.
More extreme readings of 0.20 and 0.24 percent were found in 15%, while under 6% had BAC levels of 0.25 percent or