I want to highlight the issue of driver license suspensions in light of Arizona ending the practice for unpaid debts. This is one of those policy issues that falls in this uncanny valley bad enough to be a serious detriment, but not so serious that the general public will care much.
You make a compelling point that the system is broken, but it just feels like an even harder situation than the article would suggest. Sure, you CAN get fined for niche rules that no one remembers, but my friends losing there license were getting fined for very obvious things, like going well over the speed limit, a DUI with a probationary license (in Alberta, which requires a 0% Alcohol level), or stunting. They didn't take sanctions seriously until their license was revoked, and then their life was immediately in a very difficult situation.
I'm sure there are thousands of sympathetic cases where the rules make no sense and we need common sense clemency. There are also a ton of young people who are bad at self-control and decision making. The Venn Diagram between having small landing pads if they lose their car and making bad decisions behind the wheel is going to be huge. Maybe the answer lies by having a difference between strictness in perception and in reality? It just doesn't seem like an easy answer from a policy perspective.
You make a compelling point that the system is broken, but it just feels like an even harder situation than the article would suggest. Sure, you CAN get fined for niche rules that no one remembers, but my friends losing there license were getting fined for very obvious things, like going well over the speed limit, a DUI with a probationary license (in Alberta, which requires a 0% Alcohol level), or stunting. They didn't take sanctions seriously until their license was revoked, and then their life was immediately in a very difficult situation.
I'm sure there are thousands of sympathetic cases where the rules make no sense and we need common sense clemency. There are also a ton of young people who are bad at self-control and decision making. The Venn Diagram between having small landing pads if they lose their car and making bad decisions behind the wheel is going to be huge. Maybe the answer lies by having a difference between strictness in perception and in reality? It just doesn't seem like an easy answer from a policy perspective.