ILLINOIS' USE IT & LOSE IT LAW BRINGS RESULTS FIRST YEAR

Underage drivers face serious consequences when they drink and drive in Illinois.

In its first six months, Illinois' Use It & Lose It law more than doubled the number of motorists under 21 who lost their driving privileges because they drank and drove.

The new zero-tolerance law automatically suspends the driving privileges of those under 21 caught driving with any amount of alcohol in their systems. It sidelined 1,495 motorists from January through June.

Although figures have not been officially released for July, August and September, officials said at lease another 700 could be added to the list for those months.

"Response to the new legislation has been great," said Dave Urbanek, press secretary for the Illinois secretary of state's office. "Law enforcement people like the law and are using it to send a strong message to young people."

The Illinois General Assembly in 1994 overwhelmingly passed the Use It & Lose It legislation proposed by Illinois Secretary of State George Ryan. It became effective Jan. 1.

At mid-year a total of 2,595 drinking-and-driving violations had been recorded against minor drivers, compared to 984 during the first six months of 1994.

Of the 1995 violations, 1,495 were offenses filed under the zero-tolerance law; the others were driving under the influence of alcohol.

Pulaski County is the only one of the lower 12 counties in the state that did not record a violator of the new law during the first six months. A total of 82 young motorists lost their licenses in the immediate Southern Illinois area. Of that number, 18 lost licenses in Jackson County, 13 in Williamson County, seven in Massac County, six in Union County and four in Alexander County.

Thee numbers provide compelling evidence that police statewide are taking a strong approach to enforcing the new law, said Ryan. It is clear that more young motorists are being stopped, and more of them are getting caught driving after drinking alcohol."

Both the Use It & Lose It violations and DUI arrests carry automatic three-month suspension of driving privileges on a first offense and a one-year suspension on a repeat offense. The penalties double for offenders who refuse a sobriety test.

Young people arrested for DUI also face criminal prosecution and a court appearance. All penalties for the Use It & Lose It violations are handled administratively by Ryan's office.

Illinois is one of 16 states that have a zero tolerance law.

Prior to the new law, motorists under 21 stopped by police for drinking and driving were treated the same as those 21 and older.

Ryan pushed for the tougher standard because it is illegal for people under 21 to drink alcohol. Ryan said they are more likely than older motorists to be involved in fatal crashes, particularly when drinking is involved.

During a recent year, drivers under 21 represented just 8 percent of all motorists, yet they were involved in 21 percent of all vehicle accidents.

During 1994, the Illinois secretary of state's office reported a total of 45,547 DUI arrests, with 21 percent of those being motorists 21 to 24. More than 800 drivers under 21 lost their licenses in 1994, about half of those who have already lost licenses during the first half of 1995.

"More than twice as many minors have found out the hard way that Illinois will not tolerate underage drinking and driving," said Ryan. He said the end result will be that more young lives will be saved "and we'll see a real reduction in the tragedies on our highways."

Word gets around, especially among young people, said Ryan. The early results of Illinois' new law is showing a dedicated effort by law enforcement officers to see that the Use It & Lose It message gets out.

To put it simply, said Ryan, If underage drivers use alcohol, they should be prepared to lose their driving privileges.