QUOTE
Bumper Stickers Ordered for Drunk Drivers
PENSACOLA, Fla. - Some motorists convicted of drunken driving may have to wear it on the bumper.
A judge in Florida is ordering some of the convicted offenders to place bumper stickers on their cars that ask "How's my driving?" followed by a toll-free telephone number.
The stickers ends with the statement "The judge wants to know!!!"
Escambia County Judge William White said he hopes the bumper stickers, which include an identification number for each driver, will reduce repeat offenses for driving under the influence of alcohol.
"We want to influence people to correct their behavior rather than just use this as sort of a monitoring system," White said.
White said he tried to use bumper stickers saying only "Convicted DUI" in the past simply to shame violators. He hopes the call-in stickers will be a stronger deterrent.
In late August he began ordering motorists convicted of drunken driving to pay an annual fee of $50 to enroll in the monitoring system offered by the I Saw You Safety and Scholarship Foundation as a condition of probation.
The Pensacola-based foundation provides the same service to parents of teenage drivers, borrowing the idea from trucking companies that use similar stickers to monitor their drivers.
I See You plans to donate half of its enrollment fees to scholarships for victims of drunken drivers.
The program has been approved for the 1st Judicial Circuit, which covers four counties in the Florida Panhandle, and some other judges are beginning to use it, foundation spokesman David Richbourg said Monday. He said legislation also is being sought to make the program mandatory across the state, but critics have questioned the tactic.
"I see this as providing very little deterrent," Pensacola lawyer Richard Alvoid said. "Punishment should be enough rather than also shaming people."
University of West Florida student David Blume agrees.
"It's like a scarlet letter," Blume said. "If you know you could go to jail from drunk driving, I don't see why a bumper sticker would be more of a deterrent."
White said embarrassment "comes with the turf when you're committing crimes."
Doug Meyers, an insurance adjuster from nearby Pace, said the shame is worth it if prevents traffic deaths.
"If people are embarrassed, they shouldn't drink and drive," Meyers said.
PENSACOLA, Fla. - Some motorists convicted of drunken driving may have to wear it on the bumper.
A judge in Florida is ordering some of the convicted offenders to place bumper stickers on their cars that ask "How's my driving?" followed by a toll-free telephone number.
The stickers ends with the statement "The judge wants to know!!!"
Escambia County Judge William White said he hopes the bumper stickers, which include an identification number for each driver, will reduce repeat offenses for driving under the influence of alcohol.
"We want to influence people to correct their behavior rather than just use this as sort of a monitoring system," White said.
White said he tried to use bumper stickers saying only "Convicted DUI" in the past simply to shame violators. He hopes the call-in stickers will be a stronger deterrent.
In late August he began ordering motorists convicted of drunken driving to pay an annual fee of $50 to enroll in the monitoring system offered by the I Saw You Safety and Scholarship Foundation as a condition of probation.
The Pensacola-based foundation provides the same service to parents of teenage drivers, borrowing the idea from trucking companies that use similar stickers to monitor their drivers.
I See You plans to donate half of its enrollment fees to scholarships for victims of drunken drivers.
The program has been approved for the 1st Judicial Circuit, which covers four counties in the Florida Panhandle, and some other judges are beginning to use it, foundation spokesman David Richbourg said Monday. He said legislation also is being sought to make the program mandatory across the state, but critics have questioned the tactic.
"I see this as providing very little deterrent," Pensacola lawyer Richard Alvoid said. "Punishment should be enough rather than also shaming people."
University of West Florida student David Blume agrees.
"It's like a scarlet letter," Blume said. "If you know you could go to jail from drunk driving, I don't see why a bumper sticker would be more of a deterrent."
White said embarrassment "comes with the turf when you're committing crimes."
Doug Meyers, an insurance adjuster from nearby Pace, said the shame is worth it if prevents traffic deaths.
"If people are embarrassed, they shouldn't drink and drive," Meyers said.
Since driving isn't a right I can't say that I disagree with this program. I can't say that I feel it is effective nor efficient, but I don't have a problem with convicted DUI'ers having their vehicle branded as such.
I do have a couple of concerns, however. What if the DUI'er loans their vehicle to a friend, or if their spouse/child drives it, drives crazy, and is reported? Is there an opportunity for them to prove/argue that it wasn't them driving, or is it an automatic "you're screwed" type of thing?
Also, if they upset someone can that person then start calling in and report "bad driving?" Ie, is there any checks of the reports given?
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