The holidays are approaching and that means in Illinois, you will likely come across more DUI checkpoints as you are traveling between shopping malls, restaurants, and the homes of loved ones. During the landmark case, Michigan Department of State Police v. Sitz, the United States Supreme Court ruled that these checkpoints do not violate a person’s rights. However, the federal government leaves it up to the individual states to determine if these stops go against the state’s constitution, and how to operate them if they determine they are legal.

Unlike some states, such as neighboring Wisconsin, in Illinois, DUI checkpoints are considered legal. That doesn’t mean though, that you do not have any rights when approaching one.

How DUI Checkpoints Work

Car accidents happen every day in Illinois. Many of these accidents are very minor and do not result in serious injuries. However, sometimes these crashes result in severe injuries and sometimes, even death. When one person causes the accident and another dies as a result, the driver may be found guilty of a felony. This is true when the driver’s negligent or reckless actions caused the accident and the resulting death. In Illinois, this is known as reckless homicide. Some drivers confuse this offense with reckless driving, but there are significant differences, including the penalties associated with them.

Differences Between Reckless Homicide and Reckless Driving

Reckless homicide and reckless driving both involve a driver acting negligently or recklessly while on the road. This means they show a blatant disregard for the safety of others. However, reckless homicide must involve a death for someone to be convicted of the offense. In fact, the Illinois statute governing reckless homicide also includes involuntary manslaughter.

The Illinois State Police (ISP) are warning drivers that, as the holidays approach, they still must remain safe on the roads. In a news story, the ISP have warned drivers that they will be looking for motorists that are under the influence, distracted while driving and drivers that do not wear their seat belts. The worst of these infractions is certainly a DUI, so below are a few tips on how to avoid getting one of these charges.

Learn of DUI Checkpoints Ahead of Time

Of course, it is going to be much harder to avoid a DUI if you have to make it through a DUI checkpoint. Of course, no one should be driving while under the influence, but law enforcement at these checkpoints also often want to simply make arrests, whether a person is guilty or not. So, to avoid them, download an app such as PhantomAlert that can tell you where the roadblocks are.

There are many reasons a person may have their license suspended, or even revoked, in Illinois. A DUI conviction will certainly strip someone of their license, even for a first offense. Sometimes a lesser offense, such as failing to pay traffic tickets, is enough to have a license suspended. Whatever the reason for it, many people mistakenly believe that driving on a license that has been suspended or revoked does not come with serious consequences. They believe that if they are caught, it will be like any other minor traffic offense, and the most they will face is a fine. That is wrong.

Driving on a suspended or revoked license is a serious offense. Depending on the circumstances, you could even face jail time for it.

Penalties for Driving with a Suspended License

Regardless of how stellar a student’s high school transcript is, and no matter how well they scored on the SATs, if they have any type of juvenile conviction on their record, it will make it much more difficult for them to get into college. This is just one of the consequences of being convicted of a crime, even if that conviction came in the form of adjudication in the juvenile system.

So, if your child has been adjudicated, how will it affect their chances of getting into the school of their dreams? How can you help ensure they will not feel those consequences?

Criminal History Questions on College Applications