The Virginian-Pilot
©
RICHMOND
Get caught driving drunk three times and you’d be the not-so proud owner of a bright yellow license plate under a law proposed by Del. Lionell Spruill Sr., D-Chesapeake.
“With this, you see people with that car and you watch out for it,” he said. “We’ve got to do something to let everybody know this guy is a danger to society.”
But civil libertarians say the “Scarlet Letter” approach goes too far and could unfairly mark a car driven by innocent family members. Anti-drunken-driving advocates said it just won’t work.
The bill, HB 1281, would require people with three or more DUI convictions to buy $500 yellow plates with red letters and numbers and keep them on their cars for five years after they get their driver’s licenses back. Spruill made a similar proposal last year, but the bill died in committee.
“This is a sound-good bill based on soundless logic and will likely meet the fate it deserves,” Kent Willis, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia, wrote in an e-mail.
“It’s well-intentioned, but I don’t think it will have a real impact,” added Chris Konschak, executive director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving for Virginia and Washington, D.C. He said an ignition lock that requires an alcohol-free breath test would work better to curb drunken driving.
About 955 Virginians got a third DUI conviction in 2006, according to Spruill’s 2007 bill.
Other states have tried variations on the idea, but most abandoned them because they didn’t reduce drunken driving, MADD’s Konschak said.
Spruill likened the measure to publicizing the addresses of repeat child molesters. “Just because you got that license back,” he said, “doesn’t mean you’re not still an alcoholic.”
Staff Writer Julian Walker contributed to this report
Aaron Applegate, (757) 222-5122. aaron.applegate@pilotonline.com
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A person's life must be worth nothing in VA
After reading all of the comments. It makes me scratch my head and wonder what is wrong with people. Many need a serious reality check. Who would value a person's feeling or humiliation over someone’s life? The plates are another stupid idea, and don’t even do anything to fix problem. I am a child of an alcoholic and a career navy man that deals with this stuff all of the time. But when I sit in court observing judge after judge waiving fines and jail time, I wonder how this can possibly solve the problem. If you hit an alcoholic where it hurts the most. Hit them in the pocketbook. Take away their money to purchase alcohol or send them to jail for a long time to feel withdraws. Then they start to get the reality of the situation. Counseling or AA doesn’t work as a punishment. Alcoholism is a disease and needs proper attention to correct, but has a small success rate. Simple DUI = Impound the car and auction it off, with the proceeds going to the local Police Department, that made the arrest. + 1 year of straight jail time. (No weekends or conditional driver’s license). + Heavy fines. Then they will only be a burden to themselves. NO CAR, NO DUI. Then they can walk to the st
Forget about drunk drivers , lets...
Forget about drunk drivers, this is a waste of time and energy for we all know if one is determined to drink and drive, the only thing stopping them will be jail time. Save my tax dollars for something more appropriate such as, lets insert chips into all convicted pedeophiles while in jail upon their release, to monitor their whereabouts during an Amber alert....we all know time is of the essence when one child goes missing and how better to track all offenders in the area of the missing child? This would quicken response time and rescue time tremendously by locating every known offender within the radius of the missing child. Drunk drivers? Lock them up after the 2nd offense for 6 months. Make them go to AA upon release and check in once a month. If caught the third time, lock them up for a year. License plates are a very dumb idea, for one shouldn't have gotten a license after the second offense, geez...
I agree. Anyone with 3
I agree. Anyone with 3 convictions should be in prison for at least 10 years and never be allowed to drive again.
I happen to think a lot of
I happen to think a lot of this idea! Why not? I'm not particularly interested in "drunk drivers" ~ I also have nothing to worry about as I DON'T DO THAT! Just a few thoughts . . . .
3 Time Looser
Anyone with 3 DUI convictions should be in jail. Once released they should NEVER have a drivers license again. If an innocent family member is driving an auto with a yellow or any other designation, they assume the scorn of the general public even though they are completely innocent. This a stupid idea. Address the problem of the drink driver directly with prison and denial of all and any driving rights. It doesn't matter, a 3 time looser will just put stolen plates on their vehicle anyway.
Stupid Idea
Just another waste of time by legislators who can't find anything better to do. So the last thing someone sees before they die is the flash of a yellow license plate? Put some teeth in the laws already on the books, and just get them off the streets! You really think the 3rd offender gives a crap about the color of his license plate? Like somebody inferred earlier, you'll probably see them all over the place!
waste of money
how about allowing taxi's from norfolk to pick up people in virginia beach, or instead of getting your car towed after 2am at the oceanfront, let people leave them there. why are we making it so hard to get home by any other way? how about some mass transit, train, trolley, anything quicker than the bus. give people a chance to be responsible, instead of the alternative.
One is too many
Ohio already does this. I am sure other states do as well. I can not believe that someone who has three DUI's is allowed to have a drivers license. Must be a commonwealth thing.
Zero BAC
Do I know what it's like to blow a .08? No...I don't get behind the wheel unless I'm sure I can blow a .00. If I have been drinking at all, I hand the keys to someone else. If you drink and drive, you're a moron. Period.
If the courts would enforce the existing law.
I've seen several people get charged DUI several times and the courts either reduce the charges or dismiss the charges if they complete a silly little program. Few of these people ever completed the programs but the went to them until their next court date and the charges were dropped. It's time for the judges to stop being enablers and uphold the law and the efforts and work of the police departments. More laws and programs are not the answer! The answer is to uphold the current laws on the books.