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Special license plates for drunks - I think the DUI plates is a great idea: public humiliation for drunk drivers. "... first-time drunken-driving offenders who must use yellow license plates with red numbers if a judge grants you limited driving privileges while under suspension. The head of the Ohio Criminal Sentencing Commission refers to the license plates as the "Scarlet Letter," an allusion to the 1850 novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne about a woman ordered to wear the letter A as punishment for adultery."
posted by jr to news at 1:25 P.M. EST     (1 Comment)

Comments ...

A Blade editorial that I agree with. Each year, 17,000 people are killed in crashes involving alcohol. Issuing these license plates to drunks may not reduce the toll much, but every bit helps.

"The New Year brings with it a public stigma for motorists caught driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol in Ohio. The point is to humiliate those who habitually drink and drive with what the Ohio Criminal Sentencing Commission calls the "Scarlet Letter" of license plates. Good. Let the notorious be noticed to their ultimate shame and our safety."

"Under a new state law that went into effect Jan. 1, all drivers convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs must use special yellow license plates with red numbers if granted limited driving privileges by a judge. The red-and-yellow plates are mandatory. They are intended to stigmatize offenders by flagging their vehicles with distinct warnings to motorists and law enforcement alike. The embarrassment is a small price to pay for recklessly risking one’s life and the lives of those nearby with irresponsible behavior."
posted by jr at 10:55 A.M. EST on Tue Jan 06, 2004     #

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