CHESAPEAKE
At 1 p.m., because there weren't enough seats, the judge said people could remain standing in the courtroom for the ceremony, or they could leave and come another time, but no one left, because none of the teens was willing to wait one second longer to get their driver's licenses.
So they stood or leaned or sat on hard wood benches and they listened, as did their parents, while Judge Larry D. Willis Sr. talked for almost 45 minutes during the courtroom ceremony required by the state for the issuance of driver's licenses. He talked about ticket costs and court costs and driver improvement class costs and higher insurance costs, all resulting from driving too fast.
Willis delivers this message regularly as one of the judges charged with presenting licenses to young drivers. He also said, among other things:
"The important part about actually doing the ceremony in a courtroom is, if you come down here when you get your tickets, you'll know where to go to pay them."
"If you are average, you will be here for speeding 10 miles above the posted speed limit."
"Parents, if you tell a child, 'This is the penalty for an action,' and they do it anyway, you don't have to feel sorry for them."
"The best way to get home quicker is to leave sooner. Works for me. If you decide you don't want to do it that way, don't say you weren't warned."
"I think we can modify your behavior better if we warn you in advance."
So, on Monday, he added another few lines.
"If you don't wear your seat belt, the maximum penalty is the death penalty. I don't know if any of you read the newspaper. On Saturday, there was a big accident. Observers estimated the car was going 75 mph.... Today, there are two fewer teenagers in the city of Chesapeake than there were Saturday afternoon. That saddens me."
"They say if you want to aid in brain development, repeat the desired information over and over and over again. Drive responsibly."
One young man, leaning against the wall, yawned.
Each teen was called to the front of the courtroom. The license was handed to their parent. The message each time was the same, over and over and over again.
"Congratulations," the judge said. "Don't drive too fast."
Diane Tennant, (757) 446-2478, diane.tennant@pilotonline.com
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Google
Yahoo
hahaha
Jason, you know state legislators would sell your soul to the devil if it were profitable. Ethics has nothing to do with it... ethics isnt't in their vocab...But I agree... make the tests a lot harder and limit how many times one can fail these tests before being permanently prohibited from driving. Only the serious and responsible should be driving (if that were true here, the roads would be practically empty!)
But I would also suggest that when a teenager gets in trouble due to driving, that he/she be made to complete some sort of community service in a morgue or a hospital and see first hand what happens when irresponsible people are on the road. They might as well learn about the consequences from someone else' mistake before learning it the hard way from their own. Drastic? yes. needed? yes.
D.E.
You are aware that under your guidelines a 16 year old that does not come to a complete stop at a stop sign would loose his/her license for 5 years. That is longer then any other reason to loose a license. Come on now if you are really interested in helping children learn the right way to drive you could propose a more rational solution. Let say, restrict the license to work, school and emergencies for a year. Also if they are underage fine the parents. That would get someone on there butts more so then a cop could. Assuming their parents are actually capable parents.
Most Accidents, Arn't...............
They are the result of willful actions on the part of the driver (NOT ONLY TEEN DRIVERS!!)
Teen drivers don't care about tickets, the first one is a "freebie" anyway....you take a class on a Saturday down at the court building...the ticket is expunged and it never shows up. Most kids I've talked to know that, so they drive like they have a mulligan. If we're serious about it,then we'd suspend the license of any driver recieving a ticket before their 18th birthday. Then give it back to them at 21, if they can show they've grown up a bit!!
Misguided focus on speed...again
He mentioned driving fast multiple times but not tailgating, talking on the phone, text messaging, and racing in out of traffic like you're in some stupid movie? The law is really backwards on this and police have to waste time giving tickets to people driving faster but safely. Start slapping people with fines for tailgating and you'll see accidents drop significantly.
Hey Marks
Did you say that when they dumbed down the test for the police department? I agree with you, the driving test should be harder. The test to become a police officer should be harder, also. If you tighten up the test, you can bet someone will be sued! The answer is to stop blaming the roads and conditions for collissions. There is always an underlying reason for a collission or vehicular death. Have you noticed that I did not use the word accident? It is because there is that reason, somewhere. Be more aware and drive safely, at the posted speed limit. We as a nation should not be producing vehicles that are capable of exceeding 70 mph, and they should not be able to go 0-60 in 3.2 seconds. If ever a president wanted to change the USA, he would change our auto manufacturers design criteria. Make them safer, and slower!
Marks 57720
AMEN, AMEN, DITTO, DITTO! PLease, all you elected representatives, have some guts to legislate tougher licensing standards, and stop worrying about how much campaign funding you might lose from the automobile conglomerate. What is more important: money or lives?
Make it a tough test
We could easily make the driving test (both written and on-road) more difficult. Make it so only 1/3 of those taking it can pass. Just think how nice it would be to have only the smartest and most capable folks on the road driving (also a lot less traffic on the road). The rest of the "zombies" can take public transportation. Make driving a real privilege and not a right.