The Hartford legislature is really interested in assuming all responsibilities for society at large. Too bad they won’t take a closer look at their responsibility to provide open and transparent accounting, under GAAP, so we can all see that Connecticut does not have a surplus. Instead the transportation committee unanimously voted on a bill to send to the full legislature that includes the requirement that parents attend 2 hours, outof the 8 required for driver training for teen drivers. All because these legislators, like Sen. Donald DeFronzo, D-New Britain, think that parents aren’t reading the pamphlet the DMV supplies about teenage driving restrictions.
I really resent the constant focus on teenage behavior by legislators. Bad drivers are bad drivers regardless of age, and its high time that someone in the legislature took a look at getting bad drivers off the roads. Things like speeding, signaled turns and lane changes, weaving from lane to lane, not staying in lane when turning, driving with the left turn signal on in the left lane on teh highway at 45 mph.
But no, legislators want to focus on impossible to enforce behaviors so they can pat themselves on the bak and pander to voters who want to feel like its okay to avoid all responsibility in life. If bars and liquor stores can’t figure out who is over 21, how do we expect a police officer to glance at a car traveling 40 mph and figure out which of the senseless behavior laws are being breached? The real issue is enforcement of the moving vehicle laws and enabling police officers to quickly ticket violators. Things like dash mounted video taping of moving violations, or first time offenders getting warning admonishments for observed behavior in the mail.
Instead we get this:
DMV driver’s test, they must provide a certification proving their parent or guardian took the two-hour course.
“I think it’s going to seem to a lot of people to be a fairly intrusive step, but it is a very significant time in the teenager’s life and a very significant point in the parent’s life,” DeFronzo said. “You don’t turn over this kind of responsibility but maybe once in a lifetime to a child, so this is something I think all parents ought to be sensitive to.”
The bill that passed Friday is a combination of proposals from Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s task force on teen driving, as well as recommendations from state legislators, members of the medical profession and others. It awaits further action in the House of Representatives.
The legislation stems from a number of deadly crashes involving teen drivers in recent months, including one in Wolcott that left the 17-year-old driver, his 14-year-old sister and her 15-year-old friend dead.
“I can’t help but think about all the destroyed lives over the years because this legislative body did not take action early enough to address this issue,” said Rep. Steven Mikutel, D-Griswold.
The bill enables police to confiscate teen drivers’ if they are caught speeding 20 mph over the speed limit, driving recklessly, street racing or driving while intoxicated. An officer can also suspend the teen’s license for 48 hours if he or she violates any teen driver restriction. A parent or guardian must accompany the teen driver to reclaim their license.
Rell’s spokesman Christopher Cooper said the governor wants the committee to quickly pass the reforms that would receive widespread support within the legislature. He said the governor is worried that the provisions requiring parental participation and the license confiscation could bog down the bill.
Both ideas were not part of Rell’s proposal.
The bill also increases existing penalties for teens who violate certain restrictions, including license suspension after one violation. It changes the curfew for teen drivers from midnight to 11 p.m., extends passenger restrictions, and expands the seat belt requirement to all passengers in a car driven by a 16- or 17-year-old.
The bill also increases from 20 hours to 40 hours for the number of hours of one-the-road training.
While the bill passed unanimously, at least one lawmaker voiced concern about the changes being too heavy-handed.
“I can’t help but feel that a lot of my rights as a parent are being taken away,” said Rep. Anthony D’Amelio, R-Waterbury.
He said it should be up to a parent to decide how late their child can stay out, not the state. But D’Amelio still voted in favor of the legislation.
So much for holding to your convictions there State Rep Anthiny D’Amelio.
source: Courant, Lawmakers vote to require parents to attend teen driving sessions, by Susan Haigh, March 8, 2008
