Don Rosenberg

2691 Grandoaks Drive

Westlake Village, CA 91361-5562

818-991-1956

Dear Senator Pavley:

There are two questions that must be answered before you can support AB 60. The first is, “Will this bill make the roads safer”? The second question, “Is it fair to prohibit undocumented immigrants from applying for a driver’s license?” The first question is an issue of public safety. The second question is a political issue. If you can’t answer that this bill will enhance public safety the second question is irrelevant.

I have studied the issue of unlicensed drivers almost every day for the past 2 ½ years since my son was killed by an unlicensed driver in 2010. I first testified in Sacramento against AB 353 (impounds at sobriety checkpoints) in July 2011. At the time I was in support of allowing all people regardless of immigration status to apply for a driver’s license. I have since changed my position because my research showed me overwhelmingly that a large segment of undocumented immigrants are terrible unsafe drivers. Furthermore, the reasons they are unsafe drivers would not be reduced by obtaining a driver’s license.

The next two pages list the “Key Facts” as to why this bill will not improve public safety but actually reduce public safety and increase licensing fraud.

Even if I supported the concept of the bill it is fraught with major flaws.

Finally, if this bill passes what will happen over the next 18 months until its implementation? Most law enforcement agencies are no longer impounding cars and no longer enforcing the law. Los Angeles stopped impounding most cars last May and deaths and serious injuries increased 7 percent. Do we turn our heads and allow another 750 to 1000 people get killed until these drivers are “trained and tested”? I certainly hope not.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Don Rosenberg

KEY FACTS

UNLICESED DRIVERS ARE WRECKLESS DRIVERS

  • Unlicensed drivers cause more fatal collisions than licensed drivers
  • AAA report claims 5 times more likely
  • CA DMV report claims 3 times more likely
  • Both reports understate rate as many jurisdictions do not record license status
  • Both reports recommend impounding not licensing
  • In 2012 LAPD impounds dropped 39%; fatalities and serious injuries increased 7%
  • Unlicensed drivers 5 times more likely to drive drunk (Source: AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety (AAA))
  • 48% of fatalities caused by unlicensed drunk drivers compared to 20% for licensed drivers
  • Unlicensed drivers flee 35% of the time compared to 3.7% for licensed drivers (Source: AAA)
  • Over the past 5 years 42-48% of all reported collisions in Los Angeles are hit and run (Source: LAPD)
  • National Average for Hit & Runs - 11% (Source AAA)
  • Fatal collisions not caused by lack of knowledge of rules of the road
  • Over 70% of fatalities caused by: (Source: AAA and New Mexico Dept. of Transportation)
  • Drunk driving (48%)
  • Running Stop Signs
  • Running Red Lights
  • Speeding
  • Distracted Driving

LICENSING EXISTING UNLICENSED DRIVERS DOES NOT MAKE THEM BETTER DRIVERS

  • New Mexico and Washington State issue licenses regardless of immigration status, Utah issues 1 year Driver Privilege Card
  • Only New Mexico re-licensed after removing licensing privilege
  • Results were deadly (Source: New Mexico Department of Transportation)
  • Fatalities increased 18% first year; 11.2% 2nd year: 9.3% 3rd year (from year prior to licensing)
  • Number of collisions increased 8%
  • Collisions where speeding was a contributing factor increased 22%
  • CA DMV report states that these unlicensed drivers were bad drivers when they were able to be licensed and bad drivers when they couldn’t get licenses.

LICENSING DRIVERS DOES NOT GUARANTEE INSURANCE COVERAGE

  • After re-licensing New Mexico uninsured drivers increased from 26% to 29% (Source: Insurance Research Council)
  • Unlicensed drivers in California can currently purchase insurance
  • Less than 25% are insured (Source: LAPD Chief Charlie Beck)
  • No research showing insured drivers make safer drivers

LICENSING LEADS TO FRAUD

  • New Mexico estimated 49,000 undocumented population
  • 80,000 licenses had been issued by 2010 (Source: New Mexico DMV)
  • Associated Press investigation found a striking pattern of undocumented “gaming” the system”
  • In one instance 48 people claimed to live at a smoke shop
  • Utah also reports fraud. (Source: Utah Office of the Legislative Auditor General)
  • Many licenses issued to a single address
  • 392 licenses issued to 9 addresses
  • Many licenses going out of state

BILLS SPONSER HAS PRESENTED NO EVIDENCE THAT LICENSING WILL IMPROVE ROAD SAFETY

KEY QUOTES

J. Tim Query, Ph.D Associate Professor of Risk Management and Insurance at New Mexico State University – “If the policy is motivated by a lowering of uninsured motorists or decreasing accidents, I think it has had an insignificant effect.

Robert Hagge, CA Department of Motor Vehicle Research and Acting Branch Chief. When asked, “Many people and many media organizations are claiming that this report (CA DMV December 2012 study) says that if we license unlicensed drivers they will become safer drivers. Do you agree with that interpretation of your study?”

“No, I do not agree with this interpretation. There is nothing in our report that would indicate, one way or the other, whether licensing existing unlicensed drivers would make them safer drivers.”

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