Maryland Proposes DUI License Plates

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[Psychology]
Maryland representative Herman Taylor has 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. These special "DUI" plates would in effect impose the "scarlet letter" effect upon the vehicles' of owners convincted of drunk driving. No word of anyone else who uses the car might be happy about that.

As an added bonus, a DUI plate would immediately give police instant "probable cause" to pull the vehicle over.

If Dick Cheney moved to Maryland, under this law, he'd probably get one of these fun plates.

Debate under way in Annapolis focused Tuesday on nearly two-dozen bills drafted to address drunken driving.

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.

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Posted by wizeGurl on 2006-02-24 10:55:07
What a great idea! Instead of imposing effective punishments for breaking the law--like, you know, sending them to jail, as they do with other people who break the law--just shame them! Because printing their names in the paper has almost eliminated drunk driving these days.

I'm also astonished by the statement that after a crash, "police had no idea that person was a multiple offender." I'm thinking that a crash is more than enough probably cause to check the driving records of both drivers, and it should be done anytime there is an accident, while they're checking the title and registration.
 

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