I read with interest Mr. Rosenberg’s guest column regarding the source for most of the hit-and-runs and serious accidents that occur with frequency in this area. [“Keep unlicensed drivers off the road,” published Sept. 5] It is quite clear from the available data that unlicensed drivers or those who have had their license suspended are responsible for most of the serious vehicular problems. The response from our officials to this public threat is outrageous, as Mr. Rosenberg points out.
I would like to suggest that there is a means by which such behavior can be curbed, but it will take a strong official with commitment to public safety and common sense, rather than politics, to make it a possibility. The fix simply requires taking the vehicle used in the offense away and impounding it for the duration of the license suspension. It should not matter whose vehicle it is that was used. It should also be made very clear to the public, for this to work, that if you provide a vehicle to someone who is not authorized to drive, their vehicle will be impounded and the impound charges will be their responsibility. Arguments that they didn’t know their friend was unlicensed are not valid since it is their responsibility to determine the status of the person gaining access to their vehicle, and if they need their vehicle for work, they should be even more diligent in establishing that status. No vehicle, no driving. Anything less, as evident from our current situation, will not help.
Dr. Ron Freund