Drivers without a valid license are almost three times more likely to cause a fatal crash, according to a recent report from the California Department of Motor Vehicles. As a result, immigrant advocates are reinforcing their traditional argument that denying licenses for undocumented immigrants is dangerous for everyone on the road.
The study focused on drivers with revoked or suspended licenses as well as unlicensed drivers with the worst driving records, according to a recent Fox Latino News article.
The study included 23 years of crash data involving two-vehicle fatal crashes in which only one driver was at fault. Supporters of a 1994 law denying licenses to undocumented immigrants claimed it was backwards to reward undocumented immigrants with a government document like a driver’s license. Immigrant advocates contend that the California DMV’s study should not get lost in political debate over immigration.
California Assemblyman Tim Donnelly (R-Twin Peaks) said “it is not surprising that people driving on our roads with no operational familiarity of our roads and sign system would be the most hazardous drivers. Handing out this secure form of ID to people who have no legal right to be in our country presents a statewide and national security threat, the likes of which we went to great lengths to prevent after September 11th.”
