California Senator Ray Haynes, a Republican from Riverside, introduced a bill on December 24, 1996, that promises to generate plenty of curiosity and controversy. The Senators’ bill, SB 108, would require the Department of Motor Vehicles to design and issue “DUI License Plates.” Any person convicted twice for driving under the influence would be required to display a “DUI License Plate.” The driver must display this special plate for either two years from the time of the second conviction, or for the entire probation period, whichever proves to be a greater period of time.
For understandable reasons, many Californians have become fed up with what seems to be a losing battle against drunken driving. We are constantly reminded of the seriousness of this problem by reports of families suffering irreparable loss as a result of one individual’s night of recklessness and irresponsibility. As politicians seek to address their constituents’ concerns about drunken driving, it is inevitable that certain solutions will sound better in theory than in practice.
Remember having read the book entitled The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, or maybe you have seen the recent Hollywood portrayal of this novel starring Demi Moore? There are some disturbing parallels that can be drawn between The Scarlet Letter and SB 108 (Haynes). In The Scarlet Letter, the main character is ostracized from her Puritan England society for having given birth to a child out of wedlock. The Puritan society viewed the unfortunate woman’s circumstances with intense disapproval. She was forced by her peers to sew a large, red “A” onto every dress she wore. In the case of Senator Hayne’s bill, SB 108, a second DUI conviction would require the driver to display a “scarlet letter” of their own. The license plate specified in Haynes’ bill would contain the letters “DUI” before six digits (beginning with 000001) all in white, on a red background. The “DUI License Plate” would look somewhat like the graphic on this web page.
What do members of The United Highway Carriers Association think about this bill? Do truckers consider SB 108 (Haynes) to be good public policy that should be supported, or are “DUI License Plates” a bad idea?Let us hear from you. Contact Susan Wysocki at 1.800.483.8343 or Email David, the Legislative Assistant/Editor,or Kevin, Managing Director at UHCA. Our fax, 1.800.669.2699.
