As our Chicago auto accident attorneys have previously written about the dangers of drunk drivers on New Year’s Eve. A variety of services, both free and paid, have sprung up to help drivers who have had “one too many” – or more – get home (often also arranging to drive the drunk customer’s car home, as well). Now, program actually seeks to financially reward those who report drunk drivers statewide, if their report leads to an arrest.
The program is sponsored by The Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists, and is known as the “drunkbusters” program. The program will provide a $100 reward to those who call in to report a drunk driver anytime through the New Year’s holiday weekend, provided an arrest is made.
The drunkbusters program itself is not new: it has been in operation since 1990. In the years since its founding, it has led to over 4,000 drunk driving arrests, and has paid out more than $418,000 to tipsters. In the past year alone, the program was responsible for 340 DUI arrests and paid out $34,000 in rewards. The funds come from DUI court fines.
Generally, however, the program extends only to certain areas: Dupage, Kane, McHenry, Lake, and Will Counties. Through New Year’s, however, the program is running statewide.
To participate in the program, those who witness drunk driving need only call the police. They should be prepared to report the driving behavior they are seeing, the appearance of the vehicle, and the location where they saw it. They can follow up with police later to see if an arrest was made. If so, they are eligible for the $100.
This program, in combination with the stepped-up enforcement of DUI laws over the holiday weekend, is geared to reducing the inevitable drunk driving accidents associated with the New Year’s holiday. Law enforcement agencies throughout the Chicago area and the state are increasing patrols and setting up extra checkpoints to catch drunk drivers.
In fact, Kane County is using its strict “no refusal” operations this holiday weekend, with prosecutors and judges standing by to issue warrants for blood tests of drivers who refuse a breath test.
We hope that these factors will successfully reduce drunk driving this holiday. We know, however, that not all drunk drivers will be deterred, and that some of those drivers will harm, and kill, others on our local roads. Our Chicago accident attorneys, therefore, are standing by to help victims and their families to put their lives back together, and to seek justice.
If you have any questions about a serious accident involving a drunk driver, please give us a call us at 312-527-4500 or email us at info@passenlaw.com for a complimentary consultation. You can also learn more by following us on Twitter, reviewing our LinkedIn or Avvo.com pages, and by reviewing our website.
