CA hit-and-run bill

[FastforaSlowGuy]

Interesting op-ed in the LA Times today about a hit-and-run bill introduced in the CA Assembly. I guess this would sort of help cyclists, if we could get police and prosecutors to actually charge the driver. In any event, nice to see that there's some attention being drawn to the issue (even if their focus is not on cyclists).
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/edito...819-story.html

[Don49]

I just read that article this morning. Sounds well intentioned in that a hit and run driver always gets charged with a driving offense even if they later settle up with the other party.

But I'm not sure it will work in practice as I bet the majority of hit and run drivers are fleeing for lack of insurance and/or a driver's license.

[NickR]

Originally Posted by Don49

But I'm not sure it will work in practice as I bet the majority of hit and run drivers are fleeing for lack of insurance and/or a driver's license.

From the articles I've read, here in SoCal the majority of the hit-and-run happen at night. My conclusion was drivers are fleeing because of the possibility of DUI prosecution.

[Louis]

I bet part of the nighttime hit-and-run thing is that drivers figure that at night it's less likely that they've been seen, so they're more likely to try to escape.

[Dead Man]

Originally Posted by NickR

From the articles I've read, here in SoCal the majority of the hit-and-run happen at night. My conclusion was drivers are fleeing because of the possibility of DUI prosecution.

Originally Posted by Louis

I bet part of the nighttime hit-and-run thing is that drivers figure that at night it's less likely that they've been seen, so they're more likely to try to escape.

I often see the argument that hit-and-run will never improve until the penalty for hit-and-run exceeds the penalty for DUII or driving uninsured, etc. (I think it probably does for driving uninsured, though that doesn't relieve the perpetrator from a tort they can't afford if they were to stop and own up), but the fact of the matter is that hit-and-run penalties would probably need to exceed the penalty for manslaughter to have any appreciable effect on the numbers. And by appreciable, I just mean that, and nothing more: you're always going to have people who would rather take a chance on getting away scott-free rather than taking responsibility. Always.

If laws could really change behavior, you could just make bad behavior a crime, and everyone would be good.