Tagging drunk drivers
We are working on an editorial about a proposed law in Washington state that would require convicted drunk-driving offenders to place a special, bright yellow tag on their cars.
The bill's sponsor touts it as a way of "visibly telling the sheeps from the goats on the road."
Why shouldn't other motorists have the chance to know who mighrt pose a particular danger on the highways? he argues.
But we cited some problems in our discussion this morning:
What if a spouse needs to share the same vehicle?
What if such cars become targets of vandals or vigilantes?
What if the offender lives in a multi-car household and decides to use a car without the tag?
Further, there's no data to suggest that the tags are an effective deterrent.
Maybe there's more bright yellow flash to this idea than substance.
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