Ohio program offers hope for 410,000 illegal drivers

Many licensed drivers in Ohio likely would find it troubling that as many as 1 of 8 drivers alongside them on the state’s highways and byways could have taken the wheel illegally.

That’s right. According to the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, about 1 million of Ohio’s 8 million licensed drivers lose their licenses and driving privileges each year for a variety of reasons ranging from lack of insurance to major traffic violations to illegally carrying drugs, firearms or other contraband.

But before working yourself into a frenzy, one caveat must be considered. A very large proportion of those disobedient unlicensed motorists are guilty of just one widespread socioeconomic handicap: driving while poor.

That’s why we support and encourage maximum participation in a new but temporary six-month program that targets the estimated 410,000 drivers in the state – including thousands in the Mahoning Valley – who have their driving privileges yanked for not paying reinstatement fees. For some drivers ticketed for low-level speeding or other minor traffic infractions, those fees over time can skyrocket into the thousands of dollars.

The problem is particularly acute in urban areas such as Youngstown. According to a study for Cleveland.com’s Justice For All project in 2018, a whopping 82 percent of residents in the 44507 ZIP code of Youngstown’s South Side live in poverty. Of the 5,111 residents in that area, 2,250, or 42 percent, have lost the right to drive.

Clearly, that level of immobility contributes significantly to the perverse perpetuation of cyclical poverty and hardship.

REINSTATEMENT FEE AMNESTY INITIATIVE

Recognizing the dilemma of choosing between paying fees and putting food on the table for their families, the Ohio General Assembly acted compassionately last year to adopt The Reinstatement Fee Amnesty Initiative.

That initiative, which runs now through July 31 in all 88 counties, waives or reduces reinstatement fees for offenders who have had their licenses suspended for specific violations.

It is not, however, a get-out-of-jail-free card. To qualify for the amnesty program, an applicant must have satisfied all court-ordered obligations, except payment of reinstatement fees.

The RFAI allows that debt to be reduced by at least half. For those who qualify for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Benefits, up to 100 percent of the fees are eligible for forgiveness.

The amnesty pertains to BMV fees and not court costs, which also must be paid before driving privileges are restored.

Amnesty eligibility also wisely excludes those whose license terminations involve serious infractions related to drugs, alcohol or firearms infractions.

In Youngstown, judges who see their dockets clogged with suspended- license cases daily clearly recognize the program’s value.

As Youngstown Municipal Court Judge Renee DiSalvo put it, “It’s just a revolving door. They [suspended drivers] have to make a decision: Do we pay rent or reinstatement fees?”

In addition to assisting drivers who risk additional legal troubles and financial hardships each time they take to the road unlicensed to get to work, the amnesty program bodes well for Youngstown Municipal Court and hundreds of other local courts in the state.

As Judge DiSalvo points out, it’s not unusual for nearly 50 percent of all cases before her on a given day to deal with license suspensions and repeat license-suspension violators. Clearing the docket of a substantial portion of those cases would permit more timely processing and greater efficiency in adjudicating other more serious crimes.

Of course, some may view the amnesty program with a jaundiced eye as some kind of giveaway program. It is not. The program has numerous requirements such as an 18-month wait from the time of suspension before eligibility for the program. It is also a one-time fix, available only for the next six months. More information and application forms are available on the BMV’s website, www.bmv.ohio.gov.

Those wishing to seek assistance in applying for the program can attend a special workshop from noon to 4 p.m. today at Youngstown Municipal Court, 10 W. Front St.