Should Utah Adopt New Law That Will Fine Car Owners Even When They Aren’t Driving?

A new law in Virginia will make it possible to fine the owner of a car if someone was driving the vehicle without a license. This requires the owner to be responsible for what happens with the car, whether they are driving or not. 

$2,500 Fine and Jail Time in Virginia Even If You Weren’t Driving 

This new law in Virginia holds the owner of the vehicle partially responsible if someone without a license is driving it. The law aims to hold parents responsible for their children driving and breaking the law without a permit or without any license. 

Vehicle owners could face a year in jail along with the hefty fine. It is the result of the work of a mother whose son died in a crash with an underage driver. She has been working with lawmakers to make parents more accountable. 

Responsibility Laws Have Been Growing in Popularity 

This isn’t the first time the idea of holding parents responsible for their children’s actions. These kinds of laws go back to the beginning of our nation where parents were held accountable for delinquent youth. 

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There are responsibility laws in several states that have to do with firearms. If a child uses a gun, the owner of the gun, whether it be a parent or a friend, can be held responsible for not securing it. 

A vehicle can be a dangerous weapon on the road. Should states like Utah take Virginia’s lead with this new law? On the other hand, it can be hard for laws to clearly define what is finable under different situations and therefore, confusing for parents. 

Read More: What Is The Law In Utah About Being Buried In Your Yard?

Some of these laws have been struck down for being too vague. It might be better to do a public service campaign describing the problem rather than adding a new law that threatens parents.