Having your drivers license suspended for DUI, unpaid tickets, unpaid legal fees or any number of other reasons is definitely an inconvenience. But for many who rely on driving to get to jobs they can't access otherwise, a license suspension is the start of cycle of debt and, often, poverty.
Many people who cannot afford to pay the fines to get their licenses back drive anyway, in order to make a living. Every time they're caught and face more repercussions, new fines are added on top of old and, as repeat offenders, these people are sometimes jailed, causing them to lose the jobs they were driving for in the first place.
Washington has apparently seen the impact and stopped suspending licenses for failure to pay nonmoving violations like expired registrations. The result?
Find out in this New York Times Article.
2 comments:
I was on a jury years ago for a man that tried to outrun the police, he had just got back his license and after we found him guilty he lost it again. That was the reason for the jury trial he wanted to keep his license and was hoping for a not guilty verdict from a jury. His story was just not believable.
I'm not convinced everyone should have the privilege of having a license. I have personally known people though who just messed up through doing dumb (not malicious) things and the hole just kept getting deeper as they drove to work without a license in order to pay fines. Kind of reminds me of the payday loans and how they say once you take one out, it's hard to ever actually repay the whole thing.
Post a Comment