Secretary of State Jesse White Awarded ‘2015 Legislative Champion’ by MADD

Larissa M. Tyler | As of Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White is pictured with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) National President Colleen Sheehey-Church as he receives the organization’s 2015 Legislative Champion award on November 24, 2015.
Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White is pictured with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) National President Colleen Sheehey-Church as he receives the organization’s 2015 Legislative Champion award on November 24, 2015.

Pay very close attention to the following statistics: According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), an average drunk driver has driven drunk 80 times before their first arrest. Every two minutes, a person is injured in a drunk driving crash. Drunk driving costs the United States $199 billion a year. In 2013, a total of 1,149 children 14 and younger were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes. Of those 1,149 fatalities, 200 (17%) occurred in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes.

Sobering right? But more than sobering, those numbers are downright scary.

It helps to know however, that here in Illinois, Secretary of State Jesse White was recognized last month by MADD National President Colleen Sheehey-Church as the 2015 Legislative Champion. Sheehey-Church cited White’s leadership in the fight against drunk driving, and his efforts to implement and improve Illinois’ Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Device (BAIID) program.

“I am honored to receive this prestigious recognition,” said White. “I want to applaud and commend MADD and MADD National President Colleen Sheehey-Church for all that they do to help combat drunk driving, not only in Illinois, but across the nation. MADD’s tireless efforts have saved thousands of lives, and made roads in Illinois and around the country much safer. But I want to be clear, we have more work to do and we must remain vigilant in keeping drunk drivers off of our roads.”

The BAIID program requires first-time DUI offenders to have a Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Device (BAIID) installed on their vehicles. Illinois also requires a camera unit on the BAIID to capture the image of the driver as they perform their breath test making it difficult for offenders to trick the system.

According to the cyberdriveillinois.com website, a DUI offender may decline to have a BAIID device installed in their vehicle and instead choose to restrain from driving during the suspension period. However, an offender who chooses not to participate in the program and is subsequently caught driving a vehicle during the suspension period is guilty of a Class 4 felony.

An offender is also responsible for all costs associated with the installation and monitoring of a BAIID unless an offender is determined indigent by the courts:

Installation — $85 paid to vendor

Monthly BAIID rental — $80 a month paid to vendor

Monthy monitoring fees — $30 a month

White noted that over the last two years his office’s BAIID program has prevented more than 90,000 vehicles from starting because driver breath tests detected alcohol. Since 2009, when White expanded BAIID to include first-time DUI offenders, drunk driving deaths in Illinois have dropped by 24 percent.

“MADD is thankful for the leadership of Secretary of State White for recognizing that our battle to stop the scourge of drunk driving is not nearly finished,” said Sheehey-Church. “His fearless leadership has set the tone for many to rededicate themselves this year to eliminating drunk driving once and for all.”

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