Driving Without a License: How Common is it in Illinois?

 Posted on November 02, 2016 in Illinois Laws

Countless people in Illinois get behind the wheel when they do not have a valid driver’s license. These drivers may have never obtained a driver’s license in the first place, could have a suspended driver’s license, or could have had their driving privileges revoked. According to a recent news article posted by WREX.com, far more Illinois drivers get behind the wheel without a valid driver’s license than onemight think.

What Motivates People to Drive Without a License?

According to the article, across the state of Illinois, state law enforcement have issued citations to more than 100,000 drivers who were behind the wheel while driving on a revoked or suspended driver’s license. Between the years of 2011 and 2015, there were more than 300,000 convictions for driving with a revoked or suspended driver’s license. Why are these numbers so high? Why do people choose to risk it and drive when they do not have a valid driver’s license?

There are severalreasons why people choose to risk it and drive despite having a revoked, suspended, or simply no driver’s license at all. Common reasons include the following:

• Driving is more convenient than public transportation, biking, or walking;
• Some people living in Illinois are unaware of how to obtain a driver’s license, such as undocumented immigrants, or foreign nationals; and
• Unlicensed drivers often have no other choice—they either drive themselves without a license, or they cannot go to work or run errands.

How Do I Avoid Losing My Driver’s License?

There are a number of criminal offenses that can result in your driver’s license being revoked or suspended. For instance, a DUI conviction will result in your driver’s license being revoked. Or, committing too many traffic violations in a short amount of time can result in too many points accumulating on your driver’s license, which can lead to your license being suspended.

Losing your driving privileges due to a driver’s license suspension or revocation can seriously disrupt your life. Driver’s license suspensions and revocations can span many years, leaving you unable to legally drive for a long time. That is why it is so important to fight any criminal charges that are pressed against you which could potentially cost you your driving privileges.

If you have been charged with any criminal offenses that could potentially cost you your driver’s license, it is critically important that you get in touch with an experienced Illinois criminal defense attorney as soon as possible. A knowledgeable and skilled criminal defense lawyer will be able to help you fight the charges against to you, potentially getting your criminal charges dropped or reduced to a lesser offense.

Contact an Illinois Driver’s License Suspension or Revocation Lawyer

Losing your driver’s license can upend your life and can make getting everyday things in your life done in an effective way a challenge. Having a passionate Rolling Meadows criminal defense lawyer to help you fight for your driving privileges, or to reinstate your driver’s license after a suspension or revocation, is always a good idea.

Source:

http://www.wrex.com/story/32775482/Tuesday/digging-deeper-unlicensed-drivers-pose-problems-on-the-road