Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, December 27, 1994 TAG: 9412270132
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
``It was certainly a well-intentioned bill,'' said Shook, who heads the traffic division. ``Unfortunately, this bill was not thought through clearly enough and these problems were not spotted prior to adoption.''
The problems concern a requirement that police impound the vehicle of someone caught driving with a suspended license. If the driver sends a co-owner to pick up the car, they don't have to pay the towing and lot fee and the city gets stuck with the bill. Some drivers never retrieve their cars, forcing the city to sell the clunkers at auction for a price much lower than the towing and lot cost.
The city's bill could reach $1,200 for a car that brings $100 at auction.
``The only people being penalized are the taxpayers,'' said Shook, who has told officers to stop impounding the cars.
Although prosecutors and anti-drunken driving activists generally praise the law that is one of the toughest in the country, they say it's still too soon to know how well it's working.
Provisions that took effect in July lowered the blood-alcohol content required for a drunken driving conviction from 0.10 percent to 0.08. The law also imposes a six-month license suspension and $500 fine on drivers under age 21 with any alcohol in their blood.
Another major change will take place Sunday, when the state begins revoking the driver's licenses of those arrested for drunken driving. Under administrative license revocation, they will lose their right to drive for seven days.
``The change in the blood-alcohol count is a change in a number only. The
by CNB