This interim report presents the preliminary findings and tentative conclusions of an evaluation of the .08 law enacted in Illinois in July 1997. The three main objectives of the study are to (1) determine the public’s awareness, knowledge, and support of the .08 law; (2) examine the effectiveness of the .08 per se law regarding the number of drinking drivers in crashes using time series analysis; and (3) examine the law’s impact on enforcement, prosecution, court, sanctioning systems, and the department of motor vehicles. These objectives have been accomplished with site visits to three localities and through the ongoing collection and analysis of state-level data comparing arrest and crash trends in Illinois before and after implementation of the .08 law.

The analysis indicated that the number of drivers in fatal crashes with positive BACs in Illinois decreased by 13.7% after implementation of the law. In the same period, there were no changes in the surrounding States (Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, and Wisconsin). It is estimated that the .08 law may have saved 47 lives in Illinois in 1998. Only 18 months of data were available for this interim report, but the results suggest that the law may be reducing the number of alcohol-related crashes, without having a major impact on the operations of the criminal justice system or the drivers licensing system.

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