Unlicensed drivers are three times more likely than licensed drivers to cause a deadly car crash.
This is one of the conclusions of a newly-released study on fatal crash rates. Researchers looked at 20 years of data on car accident deaths in California, and concluded that the state should reverse current policy, and allow undocumented immigrants to get a driver’s license.
These conclusions are energizing a debate over a law that prohibits illegal immigrants from taking the written exam and driving test for a California license. Supporters of the existing law say that licensing undocumented immigrants rewards their illegal activity.
Los Angeles Times notes that the state has about 2 million unlicensed drivers, and many of them say they would get licenses if they could. Reversing current policy and allowing illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses would:
- Reduce the number of people who die in car crashes;
- Reduce the number of hit-and-run crashes; and
- Reduce huge number of uninsured motorist claims insurance companies pay out every year.
Untrained or novice drivers are some of the most dangerous people on the road. Unfortunately, immigration politics may overshadow this serious safety issue.
See the State of California DMV study
