Senate passes English-only driver’s license exams

[Ran]

http://blogs.ajc.com/gold-dome-live/2009/03/10/senate-calls-for-english-only-on-drivers-license-exams/

English would be the only language for a driver’s license exam in Georgia under a bill that passed the Senate Tuesday.

Bill sponsor Sen. Jack Murphy (R-Cumming) said the rule is needed for safety on the highway. The measure passed 37 to 14 and still needs to pass the House before it could be signed into law.

Murphy displayed road signs in the Senate chamber from foreign countries in foreign languages.

“I’m just trying to show a comparison between you driving in that country and someone who doesn’t understand English driving in our country,” Murphy told his colleagues.

“People need to be able to drive safely on our roads and read overhead signs,” Murphy said.

Opponents of Senate Bill 67 said it would be discriminatory against those not proficient in English. It would allow a driver’s license official to read the test to illiterate Georgians who can’t read street signs in any language, but would require foreigners who read another language to take the written exam in English.

The bill only applies to immigrants who are permanent residents of the United States who intend to stay here indefinitely. It does not apply to foreign visitors who come for short periods of time to visit or work.

Georgia offers driver’s license exams in English and about a dozen other languages.

About 5,000 people per month opt for one of the other languages, said Lester Hammond, director of legislative affairs for the Georgia Department of Driver Services.

The most popular languages aside from English are, Spanish, Japanese and Korean, in that order, Hammond said. Many people ask for the exam in Hindi, but the department doesn’t offer it, he said.

Supporters of the bill argued at a hearing before a Senate committee last month that permanent residents in the United States should speak English.

D.A. King, president of the Dustin Inman Society, an anti-illegal immigration group, spoke in favor of the bill, saying it’s necessary for public safety.
He also mentioned the biblical Tower of Babel, and said those who want to give the exam in many languages are in favor of “tearing the country apart and creating chaos.”

During the Senate debate Tuesday Sen. George Hooks (D-Americus) expressed concern that peach and cotton farms would be negatively affected because their workforce would not be able to get driver’s licenses to drive farm trucks.

“We are totally and completely dependent on migrant labor,” Hooks said of his region of the state.

Sen. Seth Harp (R-Midland) was one of the few Republicans to vote against the bill. He represents the Fort Benning area, which has a huge population of military personnel.

Many Latin Americans attend the U.S. Army School of the Americas there, Harp said. He did not want to make it more difficult for visiting military to get a driver’s license, he said.
________________________________________

Awesome.

[bu villain]

So if not being able to read English is so dangerous, why do illiterate Georgian's get to have it read to them? Seems to defeat the stated purpose.

[BanginJimmy]

So if not being able to read English is so dangerous, why do illiterate Georgian's get to have it read to them? Seems to defeat the stated purpose.

I agree. I think you should be able to read the English language to get a drivers license. Govt could save money by laying off those people that do nothing but read the tests to idiots.

[preferredduck]

no wonder we have so many wrecks and bad traffic. if you cannot read how would you know alot of road signs etc. maybe some truck drivers will finally see the sign that tells them to stay out of the left two lanes on 85 for sure!!!

[Total_Blender]

So if not being able to read English is so dangerous, why do illiterate Georgian's get to have it read to them? Seems to defeat the stated purpose.

Because its OK to be ignorant as long as you're White? Thats basically the message I get from those who are hardcore anti-immigration :lmfao:

[Browning151]

I agree that if you can't read the road signs you shouldn't be able to get a license period. Doesn't matter if it's because you can't read english or you can't read at all.


Because its OK to be ignorant as long as you're White? Thats basically the message I get from those who are hardcore anti-immigration :lmfao:

What does race have to do with requiring someone to be able to read english to take a drivers test? Being illiterate is no excuse and shouldn't be permitted either, but I fail to see where being white has anything to do with that.

[SlowEG9]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1hs546NH7A

Sorry...this thread made me think of this

[Total_Blender]

What does race have to do with requiring someone to be able to read english to take a drivers test? Being illiterate is no excuse and shouldn't be permitted either, but I fail to see where being white has anything to do with that.

Those are my sentiments exactly, that race shouldn't have anything to do with it. But by allowing the test to be read to those who are illiterate, it does make it about race. It just seems like they are trying to stack the odds against non English speakers getting licenses, rather than non-English readers. If they were really trying to make it about the safety of being able to read the signs, no one would have the test read to them.

[David88vert]

Those are my sentiments exactly, that race shouldn't have anything to do with it. But by allowing the test to be read to those who are illiterate, it does make it about race. It just seems like they are trying to stack the odds against non English speakers getting licenses, rather than non-English readers. If they were really trying to make it about the safety of being able to read the signs, no one would have the test read to them.

The reasoning behind this is that a lot of rural folks did not get an education when they were younger. They had to work to support the family. Now, these people have gotten pretty old. The majority of these people are either black or white, yes. They could easily be your grandfather who had to drop out of school to support his brothers and sisters.
Now, if you take a man like that, who has made it through life without a decent education, and has been driving longer than you have been alive, can you say that he should be treated the same way as someone who just arrived here, has only driven in a country without road rules, or has never been allowed to drive in their own home country at all? I'd suspect that if someone has grown up here, they may have observed the rules of the road while growing up enough to know what most of the signs mean. You do realize that signs have shapes and colors for a reason, right?

[Total_Blender]

A lot of people aren't getting an education now. Hell there were people in my senior class in Highschool who could barely read. I've dealt with a lot of these older folks who can't read at previous jobs. Modern traffic signage is going toward the lighted signs with scrolling text, these folks won't be able to interpret the emergency signs, road construction signs etc and with increasingly congested/dangerous conditions of traffic nowadays its really necessary that ALL licensed drivers be able to read.

[preferredduck]

i still think if you cannot read no matter your race etc you should not be able to drive it's just dangerous. also this will keep immigration down but i bet hit and runs will be more frequent because MR Mexico is going to drive anyways and if he hits you he is gone so no jail, no insurance, no deportation and then us insured folks are screwed by them. a buddy of mine had this happen and a non english speaking person pulled a gun on him and drove off and the damn cops wouldn't respond. also when you get too old and cannot see anymore i think you DL should go too because those folks have almost caused me to wreck several times. example an 85 year old woman pulled out in front of me going 45 mph and i barely missed her and i had no time to brake so she would prob have dies but since the road was clear on the other side i escaped a very fun day.

you actually made sense there total obama splendor blender.

[Total_Blender]

i still think if you cannot read no matter your race etc you should not be able to drive it's just dangerous.

The Secret Healthcare Gastapo Census Police will be along shortly to relieve your of your license and weaponry and escort you to your nearest FEMA facility. Thanks for your co-operation!!

[David88vert]

A lot of people aren't getting an education now. Hell there were people in my senior class in Highschool who could barely read. I've dealt with a lot of these older folks who can't read at previous jobs. Modern traffic signage is going toward the lighted signs with scrolling text, these folks won't be able to interpret the emergency signs, road construction signs etc and with increasingly congested/dangerous conditions of traffic nowadays its really necessary that ALL licensed drivers be able to read.

I agree that all drivers should be able to read road signs. It is more important in the city than the country though.
What I see as the problem is when you take a 65 year old man living in a rural county who has been driving all of his life, and tell him that he can no longer have a license. Do you really think that he cannot drive? Many of the older illiterate drive in their own area, on roads they know, and know the rules of the road. I don't have any in my family, but I grew up in a rural area that had quite a few. There are still quite a few in south GA also.

[SLow_POke]

I'm for this law. the only thing just liek othesr mentioned, Country or not if your illiterate this law should also apply to you.

I understand your concern about older people who had to work hard to support their family and what not but, The same goes for a lot of the immigrants. Me I'm an Permanent Resident and it took about 10 to 12 years to obtain my resident card. so to say some one who jsut got here should not get it over someone who has a life time is more or less irrelevant if they themselves are illiterate.

Road signs in foreign countries are jsut he same as the U.S.A, stop, yield, even signal lights, So if you say they have a shape for a reason... well in other countries they use the same shapes and what not. what signs I would be talking about is actual signs u have to read liek mentioned above also we are seen more and more road sign that are scrolling texts.
I mean I've meet Americans, I'm talking about kids 18 to 29 (Latin, white, black and Asian) who I interviewed at work and their penmanship, reading skills is close if not worse then my 6 year old son. So its not only Immigrants, As a whole like the DMV says Driving is a privilege not a right, I think this should be just liek applying for a job. you need to be a HS graduate to apply for a DL.

[Total_Blender]

What I see as the problem is when you take a 65 year old man living in a rural county who has been driving all of his life, and tell him that he can no longer have a license. Do you really think that he cannot drive? Many of the older illiterate drive in their own area, on roads they know, and know the rules of the road. .

My grandpa was one of these people. we lived in a semi-rural county (Bartow) and he would never get over 40mph anywhere he drove. Theres a long no-passing zone where hwy 113 crosses the Etowah River, every day grandpa would be on that road at 4:30, going 35 across the bridge even though the speed limit was 55. He was oblivious to the horn honks, the revving motors, and the cussing, road-raging drivers lined up behind him for about a mile. He would always say "if they're in that big of a hurry, they should have left earlier."

I suppose they could pick and choose which counties they impose this in, and maybe only do it in the urban counties. :2cents:

[David88vert]

I'm for this law. the only thing just liek othesr mentioned, Country or not if your illiterate this law should also apply to you.

I understand your concern about older people who had to work hard to support their family and what not but, The same goes for a lot of the immigrants. Me I'm an Permanent Resident and it took about 10 to 12 years to obtain my resident card. so to say some one who jsut got here should not get it over someone who has a life time is more or less irrelevant if they themselves are illiterate.

Road signs in foreign countries are jsut he same as the U.S.A, stop, yield, even signal lights, So if you say they have a shape for a reason... well in other countries they use the same shapes and what not. what signs I would be talking about is actual signs u have to read liek mentioned above also we are seen more and more road sign that are scrolling texts.
I mean I've meet Americans, I'm talking about kids 18 to 29 (Latin, white, black and Asian) who I interviewed at work and their penmanship, reading skills is close if not worse then my 6 year old son. So its not only Immigrants, As a whole like the DMV says Driving is a privilege not a right, I think this should be just liek applying for a job. you need to be a HS graduate to apply for a DL.

Really, the same as in the US? Like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIthEM6pDqw

[quickdodge®]

maybe some truck drivers will finally see the sign that tells them to stay out of the left two lanes on 85 for sure!!!

And on that same token, maybe the idiot car drivers will be able to read the signs that say to leave more room between you and a truck when passing one. That's far more dangerous (and stupid) than a trucker in the wrong lane. And happens far more often. In the last three years that I've been driving locally, I've maybe seen 2 or 3 truckers use the next to the far left lane. I can tell you that I get more than that many cars PER HOUR cutting me off.

It's funny how people see trucking when they only have a one-sided view of it. Later, QD.

[Browning151]

And on that same token, maybe the idiot car drivers will be able to read the signs that say to leave more room between you and a truck when passing one. That's far more dangerous (and stupid) than a trucker in the wrong lane. And happens far more often. In the last three years that I've been driving locally, I've maybe seen 2 or 3 truckers use the next to the far left lane. I can tell you that I get more than that many cars PER HOUR cutting me off.

It's funny how people see trucking when they only have a one-sided view of it. Later, QD.

I have family in the business and it makes me cringe everytime I see that because of some of the stories I've heard, especially when I see someone in a little econobox dive right between two trucks. I think the root of the problem isn't language as much as education/testing in general. If a real drivers education class were required along with a driving test that included more than, accelerate, stop, turn and park for the most part you would take care of the problem of keeping the roads safe more thoroughly than just making the testing english only.

[preferredduck]

The Secret Healthcare Gastapo Census Police will be along shortly to relieve your of your license and weaponry and escort you to your nearest FEMA facility. Thanks for your co-operation!!

and they will be met with kevlar vests among other things, but you will prob be there first so i will see you from the outside.

[preferredduck]

And on that same token, maybe the idiot car drivers will be able to read the signs that say to leave more room between you and a truck when passing one. That's far more dangerous (and stupid) than a trucker in the wrong lane. And happens far more often. In the last three years that I've been driving locally, I've maybe seen 2 or 3 truckers use the next to the far left lane. I can tell you that I get more than that many cars PER HOUR cutting me off.

It's funny how people see trucking when they only have a one-sided view of it. Later, QD.

oh i see your side, i worked at a mack dealer and have always respected the 18 wheelers, and there are also signs up that say exactly as you do on 85 also. hell just yesterday i was cut off 5 times by someone or would have someone get so close to my bumper they could smell my fart. on 85 people really just need to chill and learn to drive. i never cut trucks off and usually have people mad at me when i flash them over to pass on the 2 lane parts but hey they are just people making a living too. i agree here no worries but they should also stay right to help traffic flow. hell there are many things that would help this like bye grandma!! weeeee!!!!!