Comment on Virginia passes law to enforce maximum vehicle speeds for repeat speeders
Carnelian@lemmy.world 1 day agoIf people drive despite not having a license then they should get their car taken away.
Yeah I mean it’s simple and it’s complicated. Like if you senselessly endanger people’s lives, we keep you off the roads. Easy peasy.
But in the US driving is simply not optional in many places. It may be the only way you can get to work or medical appointments, and most places don’t have public transit set up to handle that reliably.
In fact most (all?) US states have a system in place that allows unlicensed people to drive when they absolutely need to, in some cases even young teenagers below normal driving age. It’s often personally tailored: for example, a repeat OUI offender may get documents stating they are only allowed to drive at certain times of day, to certain predefined locations, and only in a specific car that requires a breathalyzer to start.
But even in that most extreme and egregious case, after everything and even after jail time and a permanent license suspension, they still end up on the roads regularly. So in the current legal framework there really isn’t a viable mechanism to take away their car
Re: remote tracking; Based on quickly looking up the actual devices being used they do appear to collect and report telemetry, but it’s a bit muddy as they appear to be more commonly used in commercial fleets. So sure, there may be room for some doubt on the matter. Modern cars in general are more likely than not actively equipped to report your information directly to the police, so who knows, maybe the personal ISA systems themselves are designed not to bother with it after all
black0ut@pawb.social 1 day ago
If driving is essential for you, then you shouldn’t drive like an asshole, go over the speed limit multiple times or drive recklessly, endangering others.
If you’re putting people in danger because you can’t understand the implications of driving a multi-ton metal box at insane speeds, you shouldn’t be allowed to do it.
Carnelian@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Well, they aren’t allowed to do it while they are in prison, right? Are you proposing people should be barred from car ownership forever after, even with a heavily limited provisional license? Are you equally motivated to extend that logic to any other type of crime?
Not to take the side of serial speeders and the like, not at all. But there’s a lot of legal and ethical context to unpack, not to mention the practicality of actually “taking away” driving from someone. We just don’t have a magic wand that solves the problem
black0ut@pawb.social 23 hours ago
I’m not saying you should be taken to prison. All I’m saying is if you don’t know how to drive safely, you shouldn’t drive. If people are unable to drive at safe speeds, they should not drive at all, and it’s up to them to figure out an alternative (public transport, bike) or find a job that they can walk to.
I’m not leaving anyone without the option to go to work or drive anywhere, if they want that they can just drive responsibly.
Carnelian@lemmy.world 19 hours ago
Just to clarify, people are taken to prison for these infractions. This is not you and I comparing hypotheticals
There are no alternatives. Our communities have been systematically ravaged by car companies. They literally paid to tear trollies out of cities and pave over the rails. Zoning laws have deliberately pushed people away from places they can work. Walking and biking is impossible. There isn’t a bus anywhere near you or your work.
We are once again not comparing hypotheticals. You’re just repeating your opinion (driving is a privilege which should be taken away from those who abuse it) without addressing the reality (driving is a necessity for most people in the US)