Anyone who has been injured in a car accident can generally seek damages against the driver at fault if that driver’s careless or reckless behavior caused the accident. But most of us would agree that when someone is seriously injured in a car accident, or even killed, no amount of money will be enough to make one whole.
Now, Massachusetts legislators are considering implementing a road menace bill that could permanently revoke the licenses of habitual traffic offenders. The purpose of this bill is to prevent accidents and injuries from occurring in the first place, by attempting to keep drivers who cause most of the accidents off the road.
Currently, the state does have a habitual traffic offender law, but it has very few teeth, reports The Patriot Ledger. For example, there is only a single penalty for habitual offenders -- license revocation for four years. This is true regardless of the number of arrests, or the seriousness of violations.
With the proposed road menace bill, a three-tier penalty system would be put in place that doles out different penalties based on the number of offenses and seriousness of offenses, reports The Patriot Ledger. For example, all first-level habitual offenders (three or more offenses) face a five-year license suspension. After that suspension, drivers who continue to break laws could face a second-level penalty for minor offenses, or a third-level penalty for serious offenses like a DUI or reckless driving charge.
For a second-level penalty, an offender could have his license suspended for 15 years. And for a third-level penalty, the offender faces a lifetime driving ban.
The proposed road menace bill adds additional (and harsher) penalties to the current habitual traffic offender law. Those who can't drive safely could be kept off the road permanently, saving time, money and lives.
Related Resources:
- Find a Boston Personal Injury Attorney (FindLaw)
- Car Accidents (FindLaw)
- Main Cause of Traffic Accidents in Hingham? Tailgating Accidents (FindLaw's Boston Personal Injury News)
- Ask A Question about Personal Injury now (FindLaw Answers)
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