Unintended consequences galore
Tuesday, Jan 15, 2008 - Posted by Rich Miller
* In the laws of unintended consequence of new laws department…
The Safe Rides program, in which teenagers in suburbs north of Chicago offered rides home to other teenagers on weekend nights, stopped this month because [a new state law] made it illegal for drivers younger than 18 to be on the road after 11 o’clock on Fridays and Saturdays.
Most volunteer drivers were 17.
Oops.
More…
State Senator Jeffrey Schoenberg, Democrat of Evanston, said he would introduce a bill this week in Springfield to rescue the program.
But there’s a problem with Schoenberg’s idea, too, as explained by Sen. John Cullerton, who wrote the original bill…
“We have to make sure we draft it tight enough,” Mr. Cullerton said on Monday, noting that the program has critics who accuse it of encouraging teenage drinking.
OK, good point. Then again…
The program, which the Boy Scouts of America sponsors, has been at New Trier for about 15 years.
Discuss.
- Ghost - Tuesday, Jan 15, 08 @ 10:27 am:
How much is the Safe Rides Program actually utilized? it sounds like a great idea, if its being utilized it would probably do more to protect teenagers then the new law.
The teenage driving protection laws are approaching the point where we are locking the horse in a bruning barn. If it is really so dangerous for teenagers to be driving that all these restircitions are required, perhaps we are issuing licenses to early. Dump the law and chnage the age you can drive to 18.
We have replaced parents with government in the raising of chidlren and the handling of the driving priveledge. The whole 0 tolerance law for any alcohol in the car or in the person of an underage driver seems more then enough.
- Angry Chicagoan - Tuesday, Jan 15, 08 @ 10:29 am:
Well, this is what happens when you have a bunch of cheap politicians engaging in rampant authoritarianism. It’s not just an Illinois problem, it’s a national problem. They think they can fix anything by outlawing it. And the person proposing to fix it proves he’s a gutless wonder along with the rest of them by compromising his proposal before it even takes the form of a bill.
- He makes Ryan Look like a Saint - Tuesday, Jan 15, 08 @ 10:29 am:
It is a poor law. If I allow my teenage son to be out past 11 it should be my right.
- Dooley Dudright - Tuesday, Jan 15, 08 @ 10:46 am:
From www.cbs2chicago.com: “More than half of the calls to Safe Rides come from teenagers who have had too much to drink, according to Jeff Brooks, a district chairman with the Boy Scouts.”
Oooooh, so sorry…………but it’s the enabling (and/or clueless) and oh-so-rudely-put-upon New Trier PARENTS who should be the ones going out into the dark and cold in the wee hours (in their Beemers and Escalantes) to retrieve their inebriated children. (Not seventeen year old classmates.)
While they’re at it — said parents COULD stop flouting the law. “Thou shalt not give liquor to minors.” Duh!
Oh, and by the way: I graduated from New Trier.
- OneManBlog - Tuesday, Jan 15, 08 @ 10:49 am:
Having seen what can happen to a kid who needs a ride (the Oswego crash) I can live with this…
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jan 15, 08 @ 10:50 am:
Hey “He makes Ryan Look like a Saint ” - when you own the roads or have your own private lane, you can decide when your son drives. Until then, we all get a say in that decision, via the General Assembly.
- cermak_rd - Tuesday, Jan 15, 08 @ 10:53 am:
Dooley,
The problem is the youth won’t call their parents and they’ll try to drive and get into accidents. Do you really think anyone is going to stop underage drinking? And if they do, what will the kids turn to next? I’d rather they be boozing than drugging.
- anon - Tuesday, Jan 15, 08 @ 12:01 pm:
There will probably many unintended consequences to this law– loss of revenue for businesses who saw lots of teens later at night (fast food, movies to name two), more cars on the road with teens who have to go straight home after a school event (sorry, your date will have to have mom/dad take her home after the dance/game). There may be less boozy kids on the road, or they just may be there earlier. No one knows yet. Off teh subject slightly, but I’d be all for a law that would really crack down on ANY drunk driver–mandatory jail time, mandatory hard time for accidents that cause injury or death, permanent license removal . . .
We will just have to monitor both the intended and unintended consequences, but 10 p.m. weekdays and 11 p.m. weekends seems WAY too early for a curfew. 11 and midnight respectively seem much more reasonable.
- Ghost - Tuesday, Jan 15, 08 @ 12:02 pm:
I agree with cermak on this. The safe ride programs came into beign because kids won’t or are afraid to call their parents, not becausde the parents are lazy.
it provides a peer network that kids can use to get home safely.
- Just Observing - Tuesday, Jan 15, 08 @ 12:23 pm:
The drinking age should be 18. Parents should be determining curfew not the state.
- Anonymous45 - Tuesday, Jan 15, 08 @ 12:36 pm:
when/where is the committee meeting today?
- Anon - Tuesday, Jan 15, 08 @ 8:02 pm:
Raising the driving age to 18 does nothing. It merely puts kids on the road when they are out of the age of any parental control. Would you like your teenager graduating, moving away to school or elsewhere, and then having their first sole driving experiences?
- The Horse - Wednesday, Jan 16, 08 @ 9:23 am:
ok.. lets let the seniors take their free public transportation to go get the kids and drive them home.
- The Horse - Wednesday, Jan 16, 08 @ 9:27 am:
THIS IS STUPID. We put them in harms way by sending them away to war, but dont let them drink.
Let their parents teach them the rules. dont drink and drive.. what do they think this is … the 60’s / 70’s?
and while they are at it have them pass a law maing it illegle to have premarital sex.. That will work also.
pass another law.. idiots !!!!
- The Horse - Wednesday, Jan 16, 08 @ 9:28 am:
ok.. I feel better now (back on my meds)