Lake County Driver's License & DUI Law Blog

Drivers across Illinois may be surprised to learn that their driver's license has been suspended for any number of reasons. They may have generated too many traffic violations in one year or they may be behind on child support payments. There are many reasons a person can face license suspension in Illinois, and sometimes a person may not even realize what has happened.

One of the reasons a license can be suspended in Illinois has more to do with not doing something, as opposed to knowingly committing a crime. In this state, a person who has 10 unpaid parking tickets can have his or her license suspended. This means that those tickets that may have gone unpaid and forgotten can add up quite quickly and result in more than just additional fines.

Claims of suspect behavior on the part of an Illinois police officer have brought up some serious accusations including fabrication of probable cause. According to state laws, an officer must have probable cause in order to perform a drug search. However, in a surprisingly high number of cases, illegal searches are performed after an officer has unlawfully stopped a car. When traffic infractions are manufactured, a routine stop can easily turn into serious charges.

Recently, a man filed a lawsuit against an Illinois officer for a number of violations he says were committed during a traffic stop. The man says he was pulled over and the officer fabricated the reason for he was stopped. After initially giving the driver a warning, the officer proceeded to further make up claims that the man's passenger seemed nervous.

Laws that govern truck drivers are stricter than those for regular drivers. There are many complicated laws that can change often, and penalties for failing to observe these laws are often serious. Even minor traffic violations can negatively affect a person's Illinois commercial driver's license and, therefore, his or her livelihood.

Some of the CDL violations include drunk driving, falsifying truck information, leaving the scene of an accident, speeding, improper lane change and many more. There are also certain behaviors at railroad crossings that drivers must observe. If they do not, a truck driver can have his or her license suspended.

Teenagers are likely aware of the risks associated with underage drinking. They can get in trouble for purchasing or possessing alcohol. In some cases, they can be arrested for drinking and driving, even if they are not legally drunk. While they probably know the dangers connected to drinking alcohol, some teens want to test the boundaries.

There have been teenagers rebelling and experimenting with substances since there were rules to be broken. The concept is certainly not new, but every once in a while, a trend comes along that poses a serious risk to these kids. Parents should know about it before their child ends up sick or worse.

When driving privileges have been revoked or suspended, a person's life can be greatly affected. In most cases, a person must figure out how they will get to work, school, or even grocery shopping without an active driver's license. However, in many situations, it may be possible to seek an Illinois driver's license reinstatement with the right kind of help.

If a person has his or her license suspended after receiving too many traffic violations, there may be ways to clear a poor driving record so that driving privileges can be reinstated. This may involve challenging tickets and aiming to have charges reduced or dismissed.

Illinois teens who drink and drive, or even simply possess alcohol while underage, sometimes may not understand the consequences of their behavior. These actions can result in a suspended license, restrictions on their driving privileges and more. Making mistakes is an unavoidable consequence of the process of growing up. But in Illinois, even teenagers who are riding in a car with a person who has any quantity of alcohol at all may face suspension of a driver's license. No proof of intoxication is required.

This harsh legal reality means that teen drivers caught with alcohol must count on taking the bus to and from school, work, and social activities in the future for a period of time. The typical license suspension period in Illinois ranges between three and six months.

In the state of Illinois, drivers have the right to refuse to take a breath test if they are suspected of drunk driving. By refusing to take the breath test, however, a driver will likely lose his or her license for a period of six months. The reasons that people choose to refuse the breath test are varied. Some argue that Breathalyzer tests can be inaccurate and are not calibrated frequently enough and they do not want to be falsely charged with drunk driving. It also deprives the police of the evidence they may need for a DUI conviction.

Other states have started to adopt a more aggressive tactic in the event that a driver refuses to take a breath or blood test. They have decided to allow officers to forcibly draw blood from any driver accused of driving while intoxicated. A case challenging this practice was recently brought before the Illinois Court of Appeals.

Red light cameras have been a hot button issue across the country. Many states have installed them only to have them removed months later. In many situations, courts have ruled that cities who installed the cameras are in violation of state law and the cameras are removed. Those who have received a ticket for running a red light in Illinois may be interested to know that the same law is being challenged in Chicago.

Two people are part of a class-action lawsuit that was filed this week. Their goal is to have the red light camera program declared illegal. If this happens, millions of dollars in fines could be returned to drivers who were issued tickets.