State must change how it yanks licenses

EDITORIAL: New Jersey’s uneven enforcement makes the punishment unfit for the crime

   According to a report by the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice provided to the Associated Press this week, more than half of the 900,000 driver’s license suspensions in the state last year were due to non-driving related offenses.
   That means a lack of insurance, unpaid parking tickets or unpaid child-support payments caused more drivers to lose their licenses than speeding, driving while intoxicated or any other threatening behavior on the roadways.
   The institute reviewed the state’s data on suspensions which showed 220,427 licenses were suspended for failing to carrying insurance, and another 137,695 suspensions resulted from unpaid parking tickets.
   What’s most troubling about these numbers is the way the state processes these suspensions. Not all communities are quick to yank licenses for unpaid parking tickets, but some are.
   Similarly, not all insurers are prompt in notifying the state of lapses in coverage, nor is the Department of Motor Vehicles always up-to-date on carrier changes.
   This means that drivers often are unaware their licenses have been suspended. The DMV doesn’t bother with notices or updates, they simply do their duty and update the records.
   That leaves the suspended drivers to journey on their merry ways until either a police officer stops them, or they get in an accident.
   Either way, it becomes a more expensive and complicated problem at that point.
   We understand the logic behind the suspensions and believe they can serve a useful purpose in getting residents to comply with the law or take care of their children.
   But what good does a penalty do when the punished don’t know they’ve been penalized?
   What this system does is load costs and expenses onto the prosecution of traffic violations and auto insurers in the state. How many police hours are tied up in arresting drivers who didn’t know they were doing anything illegal?
   How many insurance claims are more expensive because one of the parties involved was not licensed at the time of the accident?
   The candidates for governor — Democrat Jim McGreevey and Republican Bret Schundler — have both declared reducing auto insurance rates in New Jersey among their top priorities if elected.
   To be successful, they should obtain a copy of a recent report by the new Jersey Institute for Social Justice regarding the application of New Jersey’s rather bizarre driver’s license forfeiture laws.
   Then take steps to make the punishment accompany the crime.