Should suspending a driver's license be done for non driving related crimes?

General Discussion
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For example, if you get a DUI while operating a boat, they can take away your driver’s license in Illinois. The person can still operate the boat since there is no license for a boat in most cases.

They take away driver’s licenses for unpaid child support. Then it is even harder to get to work to make money to pay the child support. Despite that, this does seem to be a big motivator to pay the child support and it does work.

DUI on a bicycle, scooter, or motorcycle. I’m not sure but it probably can happen.

Getting caught driving without a license when young and unlicensed makes it harder to get a license later and drive legally. How does that make things any better? edit: In this case, the unlicensed driver didn’t break any traffic rules.

Over all, is this practice a good idea?

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What is YOUR suggestion for a punishment in that scenario . . . ?!

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Can and has happened. On a lawn tractor and golf car, too.

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Doesn’t matter, a criminal that is out committing a crime is probably not real worried about their driving License being revoked or not…

If you are a criminal, you shouldn’t need a license anyway, if they put you in jail…

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I didn’t find that the case. But I did note how the court system was very biased. Now I see very young kids riding around on electric scooters that seems to be just fine if it doesn’t use gas.

My neighbor had his cdl but they also liked to bar hop with the snow mobile gang. He gave it up for fear that they could take his license. Yeah I strongly disagree with using a license as punishment for unrelated issues. Never underestimate what bureaucrats can come up with though. A lot of house cleaning needs to be done in the judicial system.

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And the horse you rode in on…… :blush:

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Agree 100%.

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Gov’t officials are always seeking ways to coerce citizens to behave like they want them to. Not claiming this is a good thing or a bad thing, just saying. So how to do it? They can’t punish a person by preventing them from walking on a sidewalk, b/c walking on a sidewalk unmolested is a constitutionally protected right. They can’t punish someone by preventing them from talking, b/c talking is also a constitutionally protected right. Well, you get the idea. They have to find something that most people must do, but isn’t a constitutionally protected right. Since driving a car isn’t a protected right, and most people must do it to survive, the first choice for a punishment method for minor/common offenses is often to prevent the culprit from driving a car. I don’t think there’s anything that can be done about this, other than perhaps voting for a politician who agrees with your own perspective.

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They may be coming for me so these could be my last words. I valued my 86 riviera at $2000 but sold it finally for $50. Seems to me I’m the only one losing but ya never know.

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Yes I do but I’m afraid you don’t. Elected officials make the rules. They don’t just get up one day and do something because they feel like it. Rules are created becasue a constituent group asks for it. All those DUI rules were created because MADD and other similar groups lobbied the responsible officials to create rules that penalize people that can’t control their drinking or drug habits. I used DUI as an example because that’s what is discussed above. Other rules come about in a similar way.

Unelected officials are charged with making sure that everyone abides by the rules. They don’t make them. Elected officials won’t let them. I used to ride in a carpool with a county council member. He said that he and other elected officials were always happy to skewer uppity unelected officials that offended too many citizens because it was free advertising for how they were responsive to citizen complaints.

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DUI is a car-driving offense. The OP is asking more generally, like should a drivers license be revoked if someone doesn’t show up for jury duty?

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Our founders worried a lot about special interest groups and the ability for small minorities to rule the majorities. I remember the local madd group that got started after a kid was killed in town by a kid that was drunk. Nothing against them and it was a horrific circumstance but a highly motivated and emotional small group had its way. Hard to argue against which is why the founders were concerned.

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No. Suspending a DL for a non-driving expense is in addition to fines and/or jail time, potentially restricting a persons’ ability to make a living by restricting their ability to get to work. This will effect lower income individuals more significantly than higher income earners because the latter have more resources to access alternative transportation. This results in a different system of justice for lower income groups.

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If there are going to be rules of order in a very large, very diverse bunch of people, those rules have to have some way to enforce them. If we have a rule that operating any sort of vehicle while you are intoxicated, motor or person powered, is not allowed then there has to be a way to enforce it. A rule without consequences isn’t a rule at all. So, what would you suggest? Fines are only fair if they are proportionate to a person’s financial status, jail is expensive and pretty severe for some violations, we gave up torture some time ago, making a person wear a sign that said their violation has also not been done in some time. So what is a penalty? Suspending a license might be one of very few choices.

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Special interest groups get an issue in front of elected representatives but it takes a majority of them to pass legislation.

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The question was not related to laws applicable to driving infractions. It was related to taking away someone’s driver’s license as punishment for a non-driving related offense. Restricting one’s ability to maintain a living as punishment for non-driving offenses seems excessive to me and unreasonable. The baseline of a driver’s license is about public safety. Failure to pay child support doesn’t impact public safety. Garnish someone’s wages for child support. But don’t make it harder for them to earn the money they need to pay to support their children.

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I heard about it happening on the presumably the private fairgrounds while participating in a demolition derby!

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A guy who had lost his license for DUI was drunk riding a lawn tractor down the side of a 2 lane road from what I remember… hit a police car… Florida Man strikes again.

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Didn’t George Jones ride his John Deer to the store back in the 70’s maybe early 80’s??? lol

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The reason that your driver’s license may be Revoked or Suspended varies by state and the enforcement is just as varied…

  1. Failure to pay child support…

Where this applies:: All 50 states

  1. Underage purchase, possession or consumption of alcohol — and in some cases, smoking tobacco…

Where this applies: Most states

  1. Doing illegal things with your license – fake driver’s license, misrepresent details on your license or share your license with someone else…

Where this applies: Most states

  1. Conviction for a drug offense

Where this applies: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Texas

  1. Defaulting on your student loans…

Where this applies: Iowa, South Dakota

  1. Skipping school…

Where this applies: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin - and if you are under 19 and you drop out of school, Vermont may suspend/revoke your license…

  1. Writing bad checks, If you accidentally bounce a check, that’s one thing. But if you’re writing bad checks on purpose, it can result in a license suspension in some states…

Where this applies: Florida, Indiana

  1. Boating while intoxicated

Where this applies: Alaska, Arkansas, California, Hawaii, Indiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Texas, Utah

  1. Failing to pay what you owe to the state

Owing money to your state can cost you your license, at least temporarily. Usually this is for large debts, around $10,000 or more, and the state will notify you of the situation before taking away your driving privileges…

Where this applies: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Wisconsin

  1. Vandalism, While you may think you’re the next Banksy, many governments consider it vandalism to spray paint artwork on public buildings. Drawing graffiti in the Golden State, for instance, results in a driver’s license suspension.

Where this applies: California

  1. Advocating the overthrow of the government…

Where this applies: New York

  1. Operating an amusement ride while intoxicated, While this applies to a very specific subset of the population — amusement park and carnival ride operators — it’s a big no-no. You could lose your driver’s license if you operate or assemble an amusement ride while under the influence.

Where this applies: Texas

  1. Parental withdrawal, if you’re under the age of 18 and somehow screw up this privilege, Mom and Dad can withdraw that permission, effectively suspending your license.

Where this applies: Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin

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