Wtf_is_this1234 t1_ivp77le wrote
No one can really present a compelling reason why people here illegally should be allowed to get a driver's license. Most countries do not allow such silliness.
TouchDownBurrito t1_ivp7mks wrote
Because then they’re tested and licensed to drive and can get insurance. After passing a similar law to allow them licenses Utah saw an 80% drop in uninsured driver and New Mexico saw a 60% drop.
Wtf_is_this1234 t1_ivp8be6 wrote
That's only the case if they bother to go through the effort of getting a license. There is no real incentive to do so if they've been managing this long without bothering.
TouchDownBurrito t1_ivp9666 wrote
> That’s only the case if they bother to go through the effort of getting a license.
And the data shows they do, again:
> After passing a similar law to allow them licenses Utah saw an 80% drop in uninsured driver and New Mexico saw a 60% drop.
You don’t think having 60-80% less uninsured drivers on the road is a positive?
> There is no real incentive to do so if they’ve been managing this long without bothering.
The incentive is being able to have insurance, no one wants to be out of pocket when their new car is totaled.
metallzoa t1_ivpl7ln wrote
the insurance incentive is not even the main reason. As sketchy as this can sound, the majority of these people want to do everything they can to follow the rules because the ultimate goal is acquiring lawful residence. I have a lot of friends & relatives who are in this situation and I assure you that being able to get a license now is literally life-changing. Nobody wants to be stopped by the police and have no ID or an out-of-state license.
ik1nky t1_ivp9f65 wrote
If there is no incentive to do so, then nothing will change. So why not pass this?
kimfair t1_ivp82ko wrote
In every state where this has been instituted they have seen a big drop off in hit and run accidents. If undocumented people are allowed licenses they are more likely to hold insurance and more likely to not run after getting into an accident. These people are here and are driving around. Giving them licenses makes everyone safer, which is why law enforcement is for it.
Wtf_is_this1234 t1_ivp8i5d wrote
Insurance in MA is ridiculously expensive even for legal residents. I cannot see any reason why someone here illegally would go through the hassle and expense of doing things "the right way" when they already failed to do that to move here.
ik1nky t1_ivp9ycz wrote
Car insurance in Mass is on the lower side of average when compared to other states. My insurance was cut in half when I moved here from Michigan.
737900ER OP t1_ivpbwvr wrote
Auto insurance in Mass really isn't that expensive because the are so few deaths and injuries. Paying to fix some twisted metal is way cheaper than injury or death claims.
ooolooi t1_ivpim61 wrote
Buying insurance takes like 30 minutes with a license and a website that guides you through it step by step, whereas becoming a legal resident of the US takes months or years and involves complex bureaucratic hoops, lengthy scheduled meetings, and at the end a high likelihood of rejection. Hope this helps
jtet93 t1_ivp8hh9 wrote
I mean what is your goal? Punish undocumented immigrants? Or have safer roads?
Absurd_nate t1_ivp8fx2 wrote
What is your reason for them to not have a license?
We know that some people are here illegally, whatever the reason, would you prefer:
A) they drive without car insurance, so if you get rear ended you have to pay
B) they drive with car insurance so if you get rear ended you don’t have to pay.
Either way we already established they are here illegally. The license doesn’t give them the ability to vote, and this law doesn’t give a pathway to citizenship, so I don’t really see the issue with it.
josh_bourne t1_ivpar69 wrote
These people can and they have car insurance, they can register a car and have insurance, it makes even more ridiculous not giving them a dl
Absurd_nate t1_ivpr815 wrote
I was under the impression it was required to have a DL to have insurance, how do you insure without a DL, I had to provide mine to insure?
josh_bourne t1_ivr4sbb wrote
With their country's issued dl.
RhaenyrasUncle t1_ivpa5an wrote
> The license doesn’t give them the ability to vote, and this law doesn’t give a pathway to citizenship, so I don’t really see the issue with it.
The goal is not to give noncitizens citizenship, but rather to give noncitizens the right to vote in our elections. With drivers licenses, they would now have official, state-recognized identification, which can be used as the basis for voter registration.
Noncitizen voting rights was on the ballot in Oregon this election, and just barely failed. I wouldnt be surprised if it comes up in a few other states in 2024, and possibly passes somewhere in 2026. Might even be in our own state.
737900ER OP t1_ivpdgsv wrote
That doesn't make any sense. Anyone with a Massachusetts address and a visa allowing them to stay in the US for over 1 year can get a Mass ID/DL today. Lots of foreign students have Mass Liquor IDs because of our archaic alcohol laws even though they don't have permanent residency, not to mention green card holders.
RhaenyrasUncle t1_ivphe1i wrote
Correct. But all of those people are documented, aka here legally.
We're discussing undocumented individuals.
metallzoa t1_ivpm1ed wrote
Oh so if someone bypasses the system and votes illegally it's fine because they have a valid visa? Yeah makes sense /s
coastAL_- t1_ivp7j69 wrote
*shouldn't
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