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Law Would Impound Cars Driven With Suspended License |
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Written by WESH
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Monday, 03 April 2006 |
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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Hundreds of thousands of Florida motorists are driving around on suspended or revoked licenses. Police said that makes their jobs more dangerous, and potentially puts lives at risk. State lawmakers are considering a bill to crack down on the repeat offenders by taking away their cars, WESH 2 News reported. One out of every 17 drivers in Florida, more than 800,000 people, drives with a suspended or revoked license. Lt. John Bagnardi, of the Florida Highway Patrol, said those motorists are not only breaking the law, they are more likely to run if police try to pull them over, which can lead to crashes and even fatalities. "Not to mention the insurance end of where if you are the victim of a crash or something like that," Bagnardi said. "Generally these people are not insured either because they can't get insurance." The new law will let police impound a vehicle if the driver is caught on a suspended or revoked license and send them to jail if they are caught more than once. Many people may not know that their license is suspended or revoked because people racking up traffic infractions often do not notify the Department of Motor Vehicles if they change their address, so they do not get the suspension notice in the mail. The proposed legislation would create a toll-free hot line to check license status. Rep. Ari Porth, D-Coral Springs, who is the bill's sponsor, said that way there are no excuses and authorities can get tough on lousy drivers. "Not only some minimum mandatory jail time, but also let's take their car away," Porth said. "Let's make sure they can't do this again. Let's impound or boot their car until they clean up their licenses." Porth's bill is named for Sheriff's Deputy Ryan Seya, who was hit and killed by a suspended driver as he ticketed another suspended driver during a traffic stop. Supporters hope a law with some real teeth in it will finally get through to people who continue to break the rules. The bill to create a hot line to check license status carries a $2 million price tag. Concern about the cost slowed the bill's progress, but now leaders are saying they'll at least give the bill a hearing. http://www.wesh.com/news/8442567/detail.html
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 02 May 2006 )
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The Police State