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AJC.com > Legislature > Blog > Archives > 2006 > February > 13 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USTattling on teen drivers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Do you sometimes have the urge to rat out a bad teen-age driver to his parents, to John Law, to the entire world? House Bill 1069 could give you that satisfaction. State Rep. Jack Murphy (R-Cumming) has introduced the bill. It would require 16- and 17-year-old drivers — who have been found guilty of serious traffic offenses, including DUI— to sport placards on their cars with something like 1-800-ROLLING-LAWSUIT. Or they could be saddled with Global Positioning System units that would track their cars’ speed and movements. Do these kids need and deserve that kind of Big Brother? And should a bumpersticker of shame be reserved only for teen-agers?
Comments
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By stayinvolved
February 13, 2006 10:52 AM | Link to this
Our DUI laws are a joke so I would love to have a warning when I’m out on the roads with these repaeat offenders but how do they plan on enforcing this?
By question
February 13, 2006 11:49 AM | Link to this
Why is this limited to teenage drivers?
By Thinker
February 13, 2006 12:23 PM | Link to this
I think it’s great that these initiatives are in place as a precautionary measure for teen drives. On the other hand, many of the insane drivers I encounter are well over teenage age. Something needs to be in place for the adults.
By Patty
February 13, 2006 12:36 PM | Link to this
Being that the highest leading cause of deaths in the state of GA for teens are auto accidents, this idea is perfect. I think this is a very proactive way to cut the rate of auto accidents for our teens.
By Susie
February 13, 2006 12:43 PM | Link to this
Sure. And I also think that same type of law should apply to elderly people who should have given up their keys years ago too.
I drive to and from a high school every day, and maybe it’s just where I live, but I see more careful drivers there than I do out on the interstate and on the streets in town.
Most of the incidents where I’ve nearly been hit or rearended or T-boned or whatever, it’s been an elderly person who can’t bother to check before changing lanes, or doesn’t figure the stop sign applies to them. That might not be a popular position, but it’s also not unrealistic.
When I am out riding with my son driving, I tell him to watch out for the OTHER people who are NOT paying attention to what they are doing! If my son commits a crime (speeding, reckless driving, etc.)while driving, it won’t matter what the “law” does to him, because his car, his keys and his license will be MINE.
By bull$#%
February 13, 2006 02:02 PM | Link to this
While we are descriminating based on age, why don’t we go ahead and apply this to asians and women. Get the ethnicity and sex thrown in there too.
By James
February 13, 2006 02:20 PM | Link to this
I think we should do suction flags. When someone get’s enough a cop pulls them over and gives them a ticket for being a dumb#$%
By Van
February 13, 2006 03:10 PM | Link to this
All bad drivers deserve the stigma of signs on the cars they are driving, just to warn other drivers.
Anyone that gets with in 2 points of having their license suspended, DUI or other criteria, should have large signs on their cars, declaring them “LOUSY DRIVER - CAUTION”.
Since parents of bad teen drivers will not step up and control their child, and the state will not require mandatory retesting past a certain age, nor will the state keep drunks off the road, then shame them into driving better.
By Lisa
February 14, 2006 01:06 PM | Link to this
Young driver’s are inexperienced - true enough. However, Georgia is always coming up with new or proposing new laws for teen drivers. Yet, this state does not offer Driver’s Education in any schools. There are plently of driver’s out there that need to be tattled on, young and old.