The Fluorescent Letter?

Is Washington State thinking of creating a modern day scarlet letter? Republican State Senator Mike Carrell has authored a bill that would require a person convicted of a DUI to have special fluorescent yellow license plates. If passed, the law would require anyone convicted of a DUI to have the plates for one year on both the front and back plates of their vehicles. Within that year, if a driver convicted of a DUI is pulled over for any reason and they do not have the required fluorescent plates, they could be charged with an extra misdemeanor.

Senator Carrell, the author of the bill, believes the shame involved in having a fluorescent license plate might keep drivers from getting behind the wheel drunk. Said Carrell, "I believe shame will keep people from doing it. Looking at somebody who is driving around with a fluorescent yellow license plate should be a good reason for others to decide 'I don't want to have my neighbors knowing that I'm a drunk.'" Meanwhile the largest anti-drunk-driving organization in the world, Mother's Against Drunk Driving are against the fluorescent plates. They say that there's no scientific proof that the plates discourage drunk driving and that they believe that shame is the wrong tactic to do so.

If the bill passes, Washington would join Ohio, who has required the fluorescent plates for convicted drunk drivers for the past four years. If passed, the law would go into effect on January 1, 2009.