Wednesday March 19, 2008
So, you want to know why South Florida has crappy drivers? Well, I managed to pull the answer out of this seemingly innocuous article about DUI checkpoints. Peep: “One out of every four people stopped by a [Florida Highway Patrol] trooper has a suspended license,” BUT “when you make an arrest, you’re taking a police officer off the road for a couple of hours.” Those are quotes from FHP spokescop Lt. Pat Santangelo, and what he’s telling you, folks, is that when they pull over someone with a suspended license, they let them get right back on the road.
I doubt very seriously, Alesh, that any police officer is going to sit there and let a DWLS drive off into the sunset. If the guy doesn’t have a license, he’s going to get a ticket and then he’s going to need to call someone or start walking.
It’s not like they’re just waving them down the road like you make it out to be.
And if they did arrest every one, I’m sure you and a bunch of other people would be bitchin’ about your taxes going up to afford the extra jails and employees to support them.
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Hmm…. so, they’re not arresting them. So what other alternative is there? They write a ticket, and then what? If the person isn’t back on the road right away, they are the next day, aren’t they?
You’re arriving late in the game, Alesh. The question is, Why do 1 in 4 drivers pulled over have suspended licenses? Seems like whatever they did to earn the suspension is the reason there’s so many bad drivers, not v-v. So the issue is, Why are there so many drivers around so bad they get their licenses pulled?
maybe they arent required by the license issuing authority to demonstrate sufficient driving competency when they are issued licenses in the first place?
is the dmv doing its job in license testing?
the other issue that concerns me is the cops just randoming pulling people over during these so-called ‘dui checkpoints.’
hello, isnt that somewhat big-brotherish? isnt there something called probable cause for detaining someone?
i dont doubt the roads are filled with idiots, but freedoms are already under enough pressure in this country without these random cop dragnets….
So if the person gets arrested, Alesh, makes bond and walks out, he’s back on the street then, right? I’m not sure what you’re advocating or what you expect given the system we have to work with.
I won’t disagree with you that the system is effed and it’s crazy that we have so many suspended drivers out there, but instead of just bitching about it, tell us what you would do.
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squathole~
Your powers of logic fail you again! Of course the idiots who have their licenses suspended are lame drivers, and when they continue to drive they CONTINUE to be lame drivers, meaning they get pulled over much more frequently then the general population. The problem is that we’re not properly enforcing the suspensions.
dreaming~
is the dmv testing properly? Well, I don’t know about you, but I haven’t had a driving test since I first got my license, which is going on 20 years ago. The DUI checkpoints are pretty messed up — there was on the MacArthur a few months ago — LEAVING south Beach on a saturday. they pull everyone over for awhile, process them, then pull another batch. Good thing they missed me — i was pretty blotto!
Rick~
Hey, I’m not the one in law enforcement — let THEM figure it out!! I agree that it’s not easy. However, imho traffic cops have their priorities completely fucked up. They enforce 0% tollerance of not coming to a full 100% dead stop at a stop sign, while allowing 100% violation of turn-signal laws.
On I-95 I’m pretty sure the only thing anyone EVER gets pulled over for is violating the HOV lane.
Reasons for having a license suspended:
Child Support
Civil Judgment unpaid
Unpaid Tickets
Prior DUI or Failure to submit to a Breath Test
No Proof of Insurance
Immigration Status (temporary visa expired)
Etc…
Take your pick over which you think is more egregious.
i wish they would require a better driving education in order to obtain a license.
i can only speak for myself (i got my first license in germany), but i was like “wtf?” when i went to the DMV over here to get a license.
in case you don’t know how it works in germany:
you go to driving school a couple times a week and sit in class for an hour or two just like in a regular school. you study everything from traffic signs, how and when to use your blinker, to how to find out how much pressure a tire needs. after you pass a test with a bunch of questions reviewing what you learned, you get to the actual driving lessons. you have to complete a certain amount of hours driving inner-city, on the highway and at nighttime. once you and your teacher agree you are ready and good enough you have to take another test in which you drive around with an independent instructor. you have to show how to park sideways, backwards, start the engine without killing it going up a hill (remember most cars in germany are manual trans) etc. only after you pass that test you get your license.
oh and by the way, overall it’s about $2000 to obtain a license (depending on how many classes/hours you need).
i guess there’s a reason that eventhough there’s no speedlimit on the autobahn, there’s less serious accidents in germany than over here.
cheers :)
Alesh,
Why are you so anti-police? This is getting old, it seems that every post you seem to bash cops. Have you ever been arrested? Is there some sort of agenda here? Please advise
I think everyone commenting has their fingers on the problem.
It’s way too easy to get a license here, and once you get it, you never ever get retested. If I were king for a day or two (wouldn’t that be a lucky day for all of you!), I would make everyone have to physically go to the DMV to retake a driving test every 4-6 years. No test, no driver’s license renewal. Sure, we would need more people working at the DMV, but you can always contact/privatize part of it. You would also need more police to stop those who will surely find a way to drive without a valid license. Perhaps