Rep. D'Amico Receives Legislator of the Year Award from MADD

In recognition of his work to strengthen DUI laws, state Rep. John D’Amico, D-Chicago, recently received the “Legislator of the Year” Award from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), an organization dedicated to saving lives and preventing drunk driving fatalities.

“Too many innocent lives across the nation have been taken by the careless decisions of drunk drivers,” D’Amico said. “As a legislator, I want to make sure Illinois enforces measures to help keep our families safe on the road and from having to endure the pain of losing a loved one from reckless driving.”

D’Amico partnered with the Secretary of State’s office to pass a law that expands the use of Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Devices (BAIID) for DUI offenders, if they are issued a restricted driving permit. BAIIDs require the driver to pass a breath test before starting their cars. If the device is tampered with or the driver tries to drive intoxicated, the device will alert the Secretary of State. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, ignition interlocks can reduce repeat DWI offenses by about 70 percent. To ensure that DUI offenders did not exploit a loophole, D’Amico’s passed legislation restricting repeat DUI offenders from driving company vehicles without having a BAIID installed.

MADD believes that combatting drunk driving takes a community and a legal approach. They are awarding D’Amico for his leadership to tighten state law and to bring attention to this vital issue in our state.

“It’s imperative I keep trying to reduce repeat offenses and make sure loopholes can’t be exploited that will endanger the lives of others,” D’Amico said. “I will continue fighting to strengthen our DUI laws to reduce repeat offenders, make our roads safer and put an end to drunk driving.”

For more information about these laws or any state-related issues, please contact D’Amico’s fulltime constituent service office at 773-736-0218 or johnd@ilga.gov.