DuPage County Announces New Protocol in Crackdown on Drunk Drivers

 Posted on January 17, 2013 in Personal Injury

Law enforcement in DuPage County now has a new protocol available in the war against drunk drivers. If they pull over someone who they suspect is driving under the influence, they can contact an on-call private company who will send over a state licensed and trained phlebotomist to draw the motorist's blood at the local police department. Before the new protocol was adopted, if a driver invoked their right to refuse to take a breathalyzer at the scene, police had the option of taking the driver to a hospital to have blood drawn. But this process could take hours and with average rate of elimination of alcohol in a person being .015 — .020 grams per milliliters per hour, there was a risk that alcohol evidence in the suspect's blood would be gone. With the new guideline, there is a better chance of collecting the evidence needed for conviction in a much timelier manner. In an interview with the Daily Herald, DuPage State's Attorney Robert Berlin said that the use of a private phlebotomist will be invaluable. "By reducing the time between arrests and blood draws we are able to obtain a much more accurate BAC of the offender at the time of arrest," Berlin said. "This will allow for a stronger prosecution of suspected DUI drivers. In addition, it will also free up our patrol officers from spending hours in a hospital with the offender and allow them to get back on the streets faster." Berlin said the phlebotomist will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. He also added that all costs associated with the private blood draw will be done at the expense of the offender. If you have been injured in an accident caused by a drunk driver, you may be entitled to compensation for pain and loss suffered. Contact an experienced DuPage personal injury attorney today to help you hold the drunk driver liable for the damages you've incurred.