The Driver Responsibility Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Driver Responsibility Law - Essay Example According to the Driver Responsibility Law, the revenues collected are entered in the General Fund of the state. Since the year 2003, the collections made from the Driver Responsibility Law have exceeded $65 million. In the year 2008, the revenue generated from the Driver Responsibility Law summed up to $114.2 million out of which, about $8.5 million went to the fire protection grants whereas the remaining money was added to the general fund (â€Å"Lawmakers should stop†). The rate of collection is roughly 50 % as the fees when added to the regular fine become punitively high. According to an estimate, â€Å"[m]ore than half of the surcharge notices had resulted in license suspension for non-compliance (53% or 60,723). There were a total of 112,561 DWI offenders participating in the program. Of these offenders, only 11% were in compliance (12,493 drivers)† (Price 29). ... They are common respectable citizens, who somehow could not get the license renewed before driving their cars. Reasons for which their licenses are suspended include but are not limited to having unsatisfactory driving record in terms of too many points, and drunk driving. Many drivers are penalized for committing even minor offenses like forgetting to pay a ticket. For some reason, they are not able to make it to the court, and are thus suspended. Many among these people are unemployed, foreclosed, and poor, with no money to afford such expenses. A vast majority of them are found guilty of not paying the draconian Driver Responsibility Law imposed upon them by the state. Its charges supersede those of any other offense. Currently, lawmakers are advancing towards the eradication of fees that are overly punitive because such fees play a role in filling the budget holes while being ineffective in deterring dangerous driving behaviors. However, one of the most significant hurdles in thi s way is the replacement of the driver responsibility charges worth millions of dollars a year for a cash-strapped state. The Driver Responsibility Law is imposed when a driver fails to compensate or keep-up with a plan of payment. As a result of this, the Department of Treasury sends a notice to the Secretary of State, which in turn suspends the license. The concerned driver is not even notified of the same. To make it worse, the Driver Responsibility Law offers no protection against anything. Now when the very driver displays any kind of unacceptable traffic behavior including having an expired plate on the car, having a cracked windshield, or over-speeding, the police officer stops the driver and tells him that his driver’s license is