A new law in Texas requires convicted drunk drivers to pay child support if they kill a child’s parent or guardian, according to House Bill 393.

The law, which went into effect Friday, says those convicted of intoxication manslaughter must pay restitution. The offender will be expected to make those payments until the child is 18 or until the child graduates from high school, “whichever is later,” the legislation says.

Intoxication manslaughter is defined by state law as a person operating “a motor vehicle in a public place, operates an aircraft, a watercraft, or an amusement ride, or assembles a mobile amusement ride; and is intoxicated and by reason of that intoxication causes the death of another by accident or mistake.”

  • @Mamertine@lemmy.world
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    92 years ago

    revoked driver’s licence is the solution here.

    A lot of people with revoked/cancelled/suspended licenses still drive. We don’t have a good mechanism to actually keep someone from driving.

    The cops used to run plates and take action when the registered owner had one if those statuses and the driver had a vague appearance to the owner. In most places they’re not allowed to do that anymore.

      • @Mamertine@lemmy.world
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        42 years ago

        I used to watch a YouTube motovlogger. He advocated after someone got a DUI they can only get a motorcycle license. His logic was they’d only kill themselves. I could get behind that.

        • @dragonflyteaparty@lemmy.world
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          2 years ago

          That’s not necessarily true. Pedestrians are definitely a thing. And people would still drive illegally without a license to have passengers, children with them, groceries, larger items, ect. On top of that, being a motorcyclist is more dangerous and one could argue that it’s a cruel and unusual punishment to increase the danger selectively for certain people.