Our Chicago DUI Lawyers have consistently argued that checkpoints, disguised as “safety checks”, are a infringement of the 4th Amendment’s prohibition against unreasonable search and seizure.  And what better time to destroy your rights than a long holiday weekend with hundreds of thousands of motorists on the roads.

Illinois motorists will see hundreds of checkpoints over Labor Day weekend

-Belleville News and Democrat

Law enforcement patrols will be out in force over the Labor Day holiday weekend to help get impaired drivers off Illinois roads.

The increased enforcement period began Thursday and will last through Monday evening. Motorists who travel late at night will see hundreds of roadside safety checks throughout the state.

Motorists who drive late at night.  Hundreds of  safety checks. Hmmm sounds like profiling and illegal search and seizure. How can this be legal?

According to Illinois statistics regarding fatalities from car accidents, the most accidents involving alcohol and failure to use seatbelts occur between midnight and 3 a.m. There were 131 crash-related fatalities during those hours in 2009. Nearly eight out of 10, or 79 percent, of crash fatalities that occurred between midnight and 3 a.m. involved a drunk driver and in those crashes, less than three out of 10 of those who died were wearing a seatbelt.

“Less than three out of 10 of those who died were wearing a seatbelt”.  Ah yes, statistics.  So based on what less than 30%  of 131 people do, or about 39 people a year out of hundreds of thousands of motorists, Illinois is going to set up “hundreds of of checkpoints”.

Imagine if the police told you that because a few people were found with drugs in their house, the police were going to go door to door to conduct “safety checks” and ransack your home to look for violations of the law.  Would you still think safety checks make sense?