Legislators Will Work On Plan For Licenses

Legislators next month will consider a proposal that would change the way some driver’s licenses are revoked and reissued.

The proposed legislation would give a break to drivers who commit less serious infractions while coming down harder on drivers who stray further from the law.

“We’re fixing a problem of somebody getting caught in a system that they can’t get out of,” said Marie Bishop, a highway safety manager for the Idaho Department of Transportation.

Currently, anyone caught driving without insurance is subject to having their license suspended and paying a reinstatement fee. But Bishop said too many people caught driving without insurance just keep driving without a license.

Under the Transportation Department proposal, people caught driving without insurance no longer would automatically have their licenses suspended for a first-time offense, although they must appear in court later with proof of insurance.

But penalties would be stiffer for other driving violations. The maximum fine for first-time offenders would increase from $300 to $1,000, with even tougher punishment for subsequent offenses.

Bishop said the bill would help unclog court calendars that now are jammed with people who have committed one offense. What’s more, she said, “It gives the common person a chance to get legal and stay legal.”