Ohio state law requires people convicted of DUI to use yellow and scarlet license plates

Cincinnati Post ^ | 12/31/03 | Jeanne Houck

[Libloather]

By Jeanne Houck
Post staff reporter

Impaired drivers in Ohio face a new humiliation. Beginning at midnight, a new state law goes into effect that requires people convicted of operating a vehicle under the influence -- even first-time offenders -- to use yellow and scarlet license plates if they are given driving privileges.

[Libloather]

From http://www.cinweekly.com/dui/ -

New law brands drunken drivers
What readers had to say

I believe drunk driving is a large problem, however being forced to wear a scarlet letter on your car is just plain wrong. Police should be able to keep track of drunk drivers in another way.
Andrew, 25, Hyde Park

I think it is a great law. You are at a bar with that friend who is drunk and demands he/she can drive home. Your response "Do you really want that new bright yellow license plate?" In that one quick second that person may say, "You're right, I don't want my friends, neighbors and co-workers to know." It is another way to hopefully get drunks of all ages off the road! Take a taxi - I do!
Taxi all the Way, 34, downtown

I think it is a good idea. People should know when driving if someone is dangerous, and this helps them. Hopefully, it also will scare people before they drink and drive.
Scott, 23, Mt. Lookout

As much as I hate drunk drivers ... I do not agree with the special plates. There are many felons wandering around without being 'branded.' It also does not seem fair that the family members of the owner of the car would have to drive around with the plates indicating they are drunk drivers.
MLK, 52, Ft. Thomas

I think that's a great idea, that way we will know to be extra careful around them "just in case." It should be a law everywhere! And if the DUI culprits don't like it they will learn to call a friend, a cab, or not drink!!!
Jenn, 23, Erlanger

I think the plates are a good idea for repeat offenders, but I question whether the plates are a suitable punishment for those who have no record and make a one-time mistake. For those folks, I think the status quo sentencing and the stigma of having their friends and/or family know about the DUI would be punishment enough.
Ron B., 28, Fairfax

I think it's a great idea! Glad to see they are using the plates, I know they have had them in the past but never really used them.
Steve, 37

I do not think it is fair to label them like that. I think the fines are outrageous enough.
Melissa, 25, Western Hills

I think it is a great idea for the state to do. It will actually show how many people are stupid enough to get behind the wheel and drive drunk. Also it will probably be scary also to see really how many people have them on their car.
Elizabeth, 24, Colerain

I do not think that it is fair for someone who has made a mistake to be punished in this way. If it were then it would have been used more since it has been available since 1967. Why is it just now a good idea? I do not believe that it is. It is way too embarrassing for a first time offender.
Jessie, 25, Cincinnati

I think that it is a wonderful idea - something that should have been done many years ago. I think that it should go a step further - make child molesters yellow, and so on!
Mr. Mercury, 30, Oakley

I think it's about time, but how long will it take before we have Scarlet Lettered plates for speeding, drug dealers, child abusers, and let us not forget attorneys.
G Slaven, 47, Fairfield

I do not condone DUI in any way, but I believe this infringes on a person's civil rights. Are we going to have special plates for shoplifters, rapists, etc.?
Ron, 52

I think its great! Regardless of the situation people will be more cautious and take fewer unnecessary chances when they see one of these tags.
Jeremy, 30, Erlanger

I believe that this is a very good idea. People who drive have a responsibility to everyone else to operate their vehicle with the greatest of caution and respect. Drinking while driving shows great disrespect.
Sharon S., 54

If a drunk can get 3 DUI's what's this plate going to do? Besides raise taxes.
Ralph W., 36, Loveland

There is already enough stress in a family of an alcoholic without adding more. The mate and children of this person must live with the day to day horror. Adding more embarrassment only harms the innocent needlessly.
Eileen, 59, Blue Ash

Wonderful!!! Sex offenders should have a special color too. We can see them coming!!
Debbie, 48, Monfort Heights

[humboldtconservative]

Great idea, but I'm sure it violates some anti-privacy ACLU-type law.

[Servant of the 9]

This is not to help police keep track of drunks, but to serve as a warning to other drivers and pedestrians.

For a second offense jail time and permanent loss of license is reasonable.

For a third offense, cutting off the hands to ensure they don't do it again.

So9

[mtbopfuyn]

Wonderful!!! Sex offenders should have a special color too. We can see them coming!!

Amen.

[Hank Rearden]

Wonderful!!! Sex offenders should have a special color too. We can see them coming!!

Not me. I don't wanna see that.

Ok, we'll stipulate that I need to go stand in the corner for a while.

[NautiNurse]

LOL--scarlet letter plates for attorneys!

[wbill]

Shame is a powerful weapon.

I've always maintained that for misdemeanor offenses (pot/alcohol posession, shoplifting, etc) a work crew would be in order, rather than a fine. There are lots of parks to be cleaned up, streets to be swept, etc etc. And forcing people to roam around their hometown in a bright orange jumper would be off-putting for certain.

The state that I grew up in required 48 hours in jail for 1st offense DUI. It could be replaced by 48 hours working in a school - one full weekend painting, cleaning, etc. If I remember, they were put up in the gym. Worked out well for everyone. Offenders still needed to do their time, but it was productive, and usually people preferred to work it off rather than spend a weekend in jail.

Of course now it's probably considered cruel and unusual punishment, and probably discriminatory. Don't know if they still do it.

[Darksheare]

You gave away the secret!!
NEVER give away the secret!
No fair!

Now we'll have to rewrite it for my grand return to Ohio as Emperor of Earth..
/ joke.

[yooper]

"Impaired drivers in Ohio face a new humiliation. Beginning at midnight, a new state law goes into effect that requires people convicted of operating a vehicle under the influence -- even first-time offenders -- to use yellow and scarlet license plates if they are given driving privileges."

Let me guess; the yellow and scarlet colors will be superimposed on a yellow star of David.......

What do you want to bet that some RINO came up with this half-assed un-American idea.

[Clint Williams]

Wonderful!!! Sex offenders should have a special color too. We can see them coming!!
Amen.

But we shouldn't stop there. I want to know if that idiot driver who just cut me off has been in prison for his little "anger management" problem. 7-11 owners would be safe identifying the thieves and robbers who drive up. Neighborhoods would be safer if burglars were self-identified. As one who lives out in the country, I'd really like to know about mail thieves (especially as my neighbors and I recently had to put down a good bit of money for a quite sturdy mail kiosk). Car thieves (the criminals with the highest re-offense rate of all). Contractors who dump their waste in rural locations (like near my house). Arsonists (fire-red plates for these). People who run stop signs, red lights (at every light I encountered this morning I saw two or three cars run the light after it turned red) and speed. Tax cheats. People who use banned speech. HOV lane violators. Murderers. DV & child-abusers. Prostitutes. Johns. Con men. Politicians. Litterers, including (or especially) smokers who throw lit cigarettes out car windows. Identify them all forever, so we can know who they are.

[PRO 1]

Is this a slam on New Mexico?? All our licence plates are yellow and red.

[Pikachu_Dad]

Just the license plate? That's way too small. Lets require that they paint their entire cars flourescent pink - with yellow polka dots.

[AdequateMan]

No bias to this article. Nope. Lets face it, if The Scarlet Letter had never been written, the headline would read " Red and Yellow Plates for Drunk Drivers" and not "scarlet". Nobody ever says "scarlet". Nobody's car sales brochures list the color "scarlet" and you can't buy "scarlet" paint. This is a clear attempt to "color" the political debate by subtly changing the way the color is portrayed, for "red" is just a color, while "scarlet" carries shame and isolation.

It's so blatant that doing a google search on the word scarlet yields nearly 50% articles and pages mentioning The Scarlet Letter, and 20-30% mentioning the Scarlet Pimpernel. In other words, other than these two, this word is very nearly out of use in the English language. Its use here is obviously to affect the political debate over special markers for dangerous drivers and drunks.

[AdequateMan]

Of course I realize that it's not in the real headline, but 2/4 of the way down the color is mentioned as "scarlet" and my argument remains valid.

[spunkets]

Excellent!

[carpio]

being forced to wear a scarlet letter on your car is just plain wrong.

You should not be allowed to drive a car on which to place your Red Letter. You should have it tattoo'd on your $%@#.

[kennyo]

How about black and blue plates for those who are just lousy drivers?Zero tolerance should be reserved for those who get drunk,or otherwise intoxicated,and get into an accident.This is negligence at least,or recklessness.But to arrest one who has a few drinks,gets into his car,and gets snared in a "checkpoint" is ludicrous.Because some can't handle their liquor,we're going to punish everyone.

[Elliott Jackalope]

All I know is that when I go out, I won't have a single drink. Not one. Not a single beer at a restaurant, not a single drink at a nightclub, not a single drink at a bar. I just have iced tea, soda or water. When I do drink, I drink alone at home.

Why? Simple. Because of these Draconian anti drunk driving laws. I'm afraid to have a single drink any longer in public. Thanks, MADD. Thanks government. Thanks for making me afraid to have a single drink in a public place.

I swear, our society just gets creepier and creepier with every passing year. Pretty soon we'll just be a nation of shut-ins, with everyone peering out the window hoping to see someone doing something "wrong" so they can get a nice dog yummy for reporting them to the authorities.

[chiefqc]

I have a better idea, how about not being able to drive a car.

I have NO time for drunk drivers.

[nustart23]

I am sorry you feel the way you do about our great country and its laws, but Draconian or not, these tough laws are needed. And for impaired drivers, tougher laws are needed.

For your information, one beer, one shot, one drink is enough to impair a person's driving ability. Congratulations for not consuming alcohol when you are out.

We need to lower the BAC legal limit even further. At 0.08% BAC, a driver is a would-be murderer.

We need to raise the drinking age. Here in Ohio hundreds of college children in their early 20's are killing themselves from alcohol poisoning.

We need to take driving privileges away from would-be drivers who are caught over the legal limit, even though not behind the wheel, until they are sober- 24 to 48 hours.

God bless!