Phil Beckman
Daily Egyptian
A bill authorizing police to seize the vehicles of people caught driving on a suspended or revoked driver's license was signed into law Tuesday by Gov. George Ryan.
Police may seize the vehicle if a person is convicted of driving on a license that has been suspended or revoked because of a conviction of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, leaving the scene of a personal injury accident, reckless homicide or a suspension related to the use of alcohol, drugs or other intoxicating compounds. The previous law authorized seizure only after the fourth violation.
"Throughout the state, there is a chronic problem of people continuing to drive after their licenses have been suspended or revoked," Ryan said in a statement released Tuesday. "These drivers often become involved in accidents that result in tragic consequences for innocent bystanders."
Sen. Kathleen Parker, R-Northbrook, one of the sponsors of the bill, said it was inspired by five deaths in a three-week period in November 2001in Chicago caused by drivers driving on a suspended or revoked license. She also said that a series of investigative reports by the Chicago Sun-Times spurred a lot of calls from her constituents about the issue.
"What we are doing is targeting the most dangerous drivers," Parker said. "Hopefully this will make the roads a little bit safer."
Jackson County Sheriff William J. Kilquist said he is a little more cautious when new laws come out and that he will wait and see how it plays out.
"Having a valid license or insurance has really never, in my opinion, kept people off our highways," Kilquist said.
He said it is important to assess each situation individually and to consider the whole picture, such as how a family will be affected.
How the seizure of a vehicle might cause hardships for families was one of the major concerns when the bill was going through the General Assembly. But Rep. Elizabeth Coulson, R-Glenview, the other sponsor of the bill, said they put specific language in the bill to safeguard spouses and families.
"People aren't just going to willy-nilly lose their cars," Coulson said.
The law allows for the title of a seized vehicle to be transferred to a spouse or family member if it is demonstrated that its seizure would cause hardship. But the transfer of a title may occur only once per vehicle and for only one vehicle if the person owns more than one.
The law also allows for discretion in determining the fate of a vehicle that was taken without the permission of the owner. For example, if a person had a suspended or revoked license and took his roommate's car without permission, then the car would not be forfeited, Parker said.
Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, who voted 'present' on the bill, is still not convinced that the safeguards in the law will be enough to protect the innocent from the forfeiture of their vehicles.
"The danger I see is that not all parents are told everything by their 22-, 23-year-old children," Bost said.
He said that parents could knowingly give their vehicle to one of their children who might have gotten into trouble while he was away at college without telling them. The parents may then lose the vehicle.
If a vehicle is seized and forfeited, the vehicle may be destroyed, given to a local government or sold at auction. If it's sold at auction, the proceeds would go into the general revenue fund of the jurisdictionin which the vehicle was seized.
The Illinois State Police issued 18,469 citations for driving on a suspended or revoked license in 2001.
"This legislation will give us another tool in keeping these dangerous and reckless drivers off Illinois roads," Ryan said.
Reporter Phil Beckman can be reached at
pbeckman@dailyegyptian.com
Published on 11/17/05; 12:24:44 PM
