Too bad so many people just keep driving. A startling number drive themselves or others to an early death. Half of those illegal drivers also were under the influence of alcohol, AAA found. Evidence that dangerous drivers neither respect the law nor fear it is overwhelming. Many of the drivers AAA tracked had tallied up three license suspensions in the three years before their fatal accidents.
States are well aware of the problem.
Last year, Maryland authorities summoned dozens of motorists with suspended or revoked licenses to the Howard County courthouse to check in with monitors. By separating scofflaws from their vehicles when their licenses are suspended, traffic-safety experts suggest. And by ensuring that scofflaws who kill others face strong punishment, including jail time. A few states are moving toward tougher penalties, according to National Transportation Safety Board and Mothers Against Drunk Driving. In Minnesota, police are confiscating the license plates of drivers after repeated drunken-driving convictions.