Binnae Bridwell
During a recent trip to Las Vegas, I was involved in an accident. A woman backed up into my car in a parking lot of a restaurant, leaving a huge dent. We did the standard practice of exchanging information and insurance policies and we made our way went to our destinations. Days later, after making numerous calls to her insurance provider we finally settled and my car was going to be fixed, and I was going to find out that my license was going to be suspended. The Department of Motor Vehicles notified me within days of winning my claim that I wasn’t properly insured and that my license was going to be taken away. Spending what seemed like forever in the DMV of Van Nuys, I finally had my opportunity to see a clerk. I was told that my license would be suspended because I didn’t have the liability insurance at the time of my accident and that it was illegal to drive in the state of California without it. A month or so after the accident I got full coverage insurance and since I did have full coverage at the time I received my check for winning the claim, I could apply for a restricted license. In order to get a restricted drivers license I had to pay about $200 plus $58 for new driver’s license identification card. Having this license commuting is hard, I am allowed to go back and forth only to work. I work and go to school full time, yet I am not allowed to drive to school. Well I could, but I would have to take the chance of getting my card impounded, paying a fine, and possible jail time if caught driving my car somewhere other than to work. The DMV laws on restricted licenses is not fair to those who are enrolled in school because they are not permitted to attend school, only if a person is employed at their institution. Making the risky decision every time I sit behind the wheel and travel to school stresses me out because I know that I have to be extra careful. Although I didn’t abide by the law (because it is necessary), I have to deal with the fact that I can’t just jump in my car and visit a friend, go to the mall, or even drive down the street to go to the bank. For one whole year, I am immobile. I guess other than traveling to school, I have to go places as fast as my feet can take me.