The state of Illinois joins Arizona and New Mexico in requiring the installation of an ignition interlock device for all motorists convicted of Illinois DUI. The new law includes those arrested for a first time DUI offense.
The legislation is due in part to a nationwide campaign started by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) in November 2006. The Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving has made the mandatory installation of ignition interlock devices for all DUI offenders its main focus. Buoyed by its success in Arizona and Illinois, MADD has said it will continue to push for similar laws in every state. Currently lawmakers in New York, Ohio, Louisiana and Pennsylvania are considering such action.
In addition to working on a state level, MADD has lobbied Congress with its anti-DUI strategies. As part of the Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving, MADD advocates the factory installation of interlock devices in all automobiles sold in the United States.
Besides the use of interlock devices, the organization is pushing for increased law enforcement and a grassroots effort to reduce DUI incidents.
