Preventative Medicine.
Posted on 02/23/2006 5:12:43 AM PST by Cagey
Baltimore television station WBAL reported that one bill would have convicted drunken drivers wear a Scarlet Letter of sorts.
According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics, 45 percent of Maryland's traffic fatalities are related to alcohol. The House Judiciary Committee heard about 18 driving under the influence bills Tuesday, but none as controversial as the so-called Scarlet Letter approach.
Montgomery County Delegate Herman Taylor, D-District 14, introduced House Bill 1315, which would require the state's Motor Vehicle Administration to issue special license plates to people convicted on at least two DUI offenses.
WBAL reported critics have called the measure a bumper sticker solution to crash prevention.
"It's intended to track people who have had two or more offenses dealing with drunken driving," Taylor said.
The license plates would contain the letters "DUI" in bold. Taylor said a drunken driver struck him last May, and at the time of the crash, police had no idea that person was a multiple offender.
Taylor considers the DUI plate an ounce of prevention because it gives police a license to stop the driver at any time.
"(The bill) will allow (police) to, without probable cause, pull them over and check" their driving records, Taylor said.
Defense attorneys have raised questions as to the specter of possible civil rights and other violations.
"I don't think the answer is a license plate, I think the answer is certainly more treatment and rehabilitation, which the governor has supported (and) the House Judiciary Committee has supported, tougher penalties for subsequent offenders," said Montgomery County Delegate Luiz Simmons, D-District 17, a member of the House Judiciary Committee.
Other states have already instituted similar measures. WBAL reported Ohio issues to habitual drunken drivers a yellow license plate that has red numbers.
Last year, Florida's Legislature considered requiring those with multiple DUI convictions to use a bright pink license plate. WBAL reported a similar issue also came up some 10 years ago in California.
Michigan currently uses paper tags to identify repeat offenders, while Oregon and Washington state put a zebra sticker over the plate of habitual offenders.
Two convictions - you get prison and make the plates.
Preventative Medicine.
Why am I suddenly seeing FReepers wearing arm bands labeled "GOP" on them...
I approve of this. A person convicted twice of drunk driving is clearly irresponsible, and his civil rights don't include keeping other drivers ignorant of his potential threat. That, along with being free of without-probable-cause traffic stops, is a privilege he's forfeited by his dangerous behavior. Finally, if he's capable of feeling it, public shame and embarrassment are sometimes useful tools to motivate someone to change his behavior, and (more likely) for those who see him to vow, "I'm never going to put myself in that position."
Perhaps you need stronger meds for your hallucinations?
We only had one car, and, I am not convinced that "special tags" would have kept my folks from driving -- drunk or sober. I do know that, as a (always sober) teenager, I would have been mortified to ride in (much less drive) such a "tagged" car.
Alcoholics don't live "in a vacuum"; they do more than enough mental damage to their families. Why add to it with "feel-good" stigmatizing legislation?
They don't allow strong meds here in Iraq.
I agree with this. But I thought this was shot down by the ACLU?
I'd take it one step further. A person with two DUI convictions should never be issued a driver's license again.
So you are admitting to hallucinations.
They're right.
My kids told me about this last night. It makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck whenever someone starts demagoguing an issue like this. Usually, it's done to distract from something else. 'Pod.
My dad was a drunk, so I certainly understand what you went through. And I agree that drunks are unlikely to be motivated by a license plate. However, the drivers around him would be warned of his potential threat, and cops would have a better chance of keeping him off the road, possibly saving someone's life.
So I think this legislation is actually useful. But if you disagree, I'm very willing to hear your reasoning.
So will they issue a second plate for the other driver of the vehicle, if necessary?
Old sarge is right! Maybe you need to wake up and smell the coffee (and put down the bong)!
I haven't heard that, but I'm sure they tried. I don't know if they've had any success.
How, precisely, are they gonna be able to do that? You gonna have a state trooper stakeout the DUI squared person in the driveway?
Be specific. Discuss how this plan would be implemented (what laws need to be passed, what are the likely manpower requirements). Be sure to estimate the cost.
What about households with teenage or adult children, live in parents, etc? What if I had a live in father that had more than 1 DUI and no car, but I occasionally let him drive my car? Would I have to DUI my car?
The point I am trying to make here is that a person's car can be driven by many people... DUI on the driver's license would make more sense (honestly, I question why people with multiple DUIs still have driver's licenses though).
I'm not libertarian, nor an @$$hole.
It's you that is being arrogant.
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