Best Practices Guide to Reducing Suspended Drivers

This guide by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators discusses how suspending driver’s licenses for non-safety related reasons is ineffective and counter-productive: it diminishes the deterrent effect and perceived legitimacy of license suspension, as well as the efficacy of law enforcement, prosecutors, courts, and motor vehicle agencies. Grouping drivers whose licenses were suspended for highway safety-related reasons with those whose weren’t does little to improve public safety, and causes severe collateral consequences for those who don’t actually pose a public safety risk for other motorists.

You can read the full report here. 

Key findings

• There is no empirical evidence to support the idea that suspending driver’s licenses for non-driving-related reasons is an effective sanction for the original offense.
• “Research indicates that approximately 75% of all suspended drivers continue to drive.”
• 21 states were cited as suspending driver’s licenses for failure to appear/comply/pay

Recommendations

• This Working Group recommends that “…legislatures repeal laws requiring the suspension of driving privileges for non-highway safety related violations.”