Some of Us Would Rather Die
The number of drivers attempting to flee police during traffic stops here on Long Island has increased of late. One incident ended in an accident fatal to the driver and another in an injury to the police officer involved. This appears to be a response to the escalating punishment for impaired driving. I'm at the forefront of people who want to keep dangerous drivers off the roads, but similar to the argument against capital punishment, deterrence works only on those who are afraid of getting caught … like me.
For others, fear only kicks in the moment they're apprehended and the response is commensurate with the assumed punishment. The instantaneous panic reflex creates a dangerous situation for everyone in the vicinity. These people face losing their jobs, their freedom and their reputations and the reaction is predictable, if you think about it. There's a reason why the state keeps death row inmates isolated from the general population - they have nothing to lose by killing again. Drunk drivers have nothing to lose by trying to outrace the pursuit of law enforcement, at least in their liquored misjudgment. The alternative, for them, is bad enough to risk life and limb. It makes them even more dangerous to us all.
So, what is the answer when faced with ever more danger? More controls, of course. We get speed bumps in parking lots, four-way stop signs in rarely travelled loci, and red light cameras at busy intersections. For this particular issue, we're going to get remote kill switches, whether or not we like it (and nobody is going to like it). Stopping a driver who will not respond to an order to pull over is a dicey matter. Car chases put the public at risk, but the growing concern is not for us but for the police. That is why we'll see a move towards mandating the inclusion of a satellite receiver in all new cars, dedicated to one purpose: shutting down the engine on command. It won't be an option. This is what happens when law presumes obedience; the adverse reaction creates a greater danger than existed before the legislative muscle flexing. When the law puts people in a position where they would rather die than submit to the punishment, I have to think that there's something wrong with the law.
