Representative Don Humason



ATTENTION YOUNG DRIVERS! By State Representative Don Humason, Jr. January 12, 2008 Congratulations to Mayor Mike Boulanger and the members of the Westfield City Council, School Committee, G&E Board, and the Athenaeum Trustee who were all sworn in on Monday at the inauguration ceremony at North Middle School. I look forward to working with our new mayor and all municipal officials to keep Westfield moving in the right direction. Winter gave us a bit of a reprieve this past week. Now that the snow and ice on the roads have melted we’re confronted with a problem that typically doesn’t arrive until later in the season: potholes. I was looking at the City of Westfield website recently (www.CityofWestfield.org) and noticed that the Department of Public Works has a pothole hotline. Call the Westfield DPW at 572-6226 to report any dangerous potholes. The Massachusetts Presidential Primary date has been changed by the Legislature. The new date is Tuesday, February 5, 2008. The last date to register to vote or change party enrollment for this Primary is Wednesday, January 16. The City Clerk’s office at Westfield City Hall is available to assist you with this process. Call them at 572-6235. It has come to my attention through recent contacts with my office that many of you have questions regarding the changes to the state’s Junior Operators License laws that affect our young drivers. As you know, the Legislature passed sweeping changes to the Junior Operator Laws (JOL) back in December of 2006. These changes were made in response to an increase in traffic fatalities among new, young, inexperienced drivers. These changes occurred only after great publicity surrounding the tragic fatalities and after much debate and many discussions with public safety officials, parents, young drivers, and various driving schools. To give my constituents a heads up, I wrote about the proposals back in a column from June 3, 2006 called Junior Operators License. Go to my website to read it at www.DonHumason.org. Here are the changes that were implemented as part of the new law: Changes were made to the penalties a Junior Operator would incur if found in violation of speeding laws, passenger restriction laws, and others. Speeding: The number one cause of so many fatalities among young drivers was excessive speeding. The Legislature felt that a strong message needed to be sent to our young drivers that if you are caught speeding there will be dire consequences. 1st offense of this violation will result in a 90 day suspension, driver attitudinal retraining course, a $500 reinstatement fee and that individual will have to take a new exam. 2nd and subsequent offense of this violation will result in a 1 year suspension, driver attitudinal retraining course, a $500 reinstatement fee and that individual will have to take a new exam. Other violations like drag racing and operating to endanger also carry hefty fines and suspensions. These can be viewed at the Registry of Motor Vehicles Web site, www.mass.gov/rmv/jol. Passenger Restriction: When driving for the first six months of one getting his or her license to operate a motor vehicle, only parents, guardians, siblings or any one over 21 may be in the car with a junior operator. Friends are not allowed in the car. 1st offense of this violation will result in a 60 day suspension of license and a $100 reinstatement fee 2nd offense of this violation will result in a 180 day suspension, a driver attitudinal retraining course and a $100 reinstatement fee 3rd offense of this violation will result in a one year suspension, a driver attitudinal retraining course and a $100 reinstatement fee Time Restriction: When driving for the first six months of one getting his or her license to operate a motor vehicle, that individual cannot drive between the hours of 12:30 A.M. and 5:00 A.M. 1st offense of this violation will result in a 60 day suspension of license and a $100 reinstatement fee 2nd offense of this violation will result in a 180 day suspension, a driver attitudinal retraining course and a $100 reinstatement fee 3rd offense of this violation will result in a one year suspension, a driver attitudinal retraining course and a $100 reinstatement fee The Legislature also made changes to the driver education phase and to the amount of practice driving one must do before receiving his or her JOL. Basic Driver’s education: 1. 30 Hours of Class room instruction 2. 12 Hours of on-road driving 3. 6 Hours of on-road observation 4. 2 Hours of parental participation including instruction on driver’s education curriculum, junior operator restriction and penalties, and tips for teaching your child to drive during the 40 hours of parental supervision. Supervised driving to obtain a Junior Operators license: 1. 40 Hours of parent/guardian supervised driving 2. Allows for 30 hours of parent/ guardian supervised driving if child completes advanced driver training course. The Legislature felt that real teeth should be added to the new JOL laws to reflect the “zero tolerance” seriousness of the matter and impress upon young drivers what adult motorists in Massachusetts already know. Driving is not a right; it’s a privilege. And reckless driving can kill and maim and injure. Finally, it was felt that the tough penalties, like the 30 day loss of license after a young driver’s first speeding ticket, would really hit home. As soon as one Junior Operator lost his or her license the news would spread throughout that individual’s circle of friends, peers, and school-mates, making a positive example of that person and encouraging others to think twice before speeding or otherwise breaking the JOL laws. It appears to be working. According to RMV statistics, young driver deaths and accidents are down this year over the same period before the new JOL went into effect. Representative Don Humason and his new aide Sarah Latour may be reached at their Westfield District office, 64 Noble Street, Westfield, MA 01085, 568-1366. Their Boston address is State House Room 542, Boston, MA 02133, (617) 722-2803. Email address: Rep.DonaldHumason@Hou.state.ma.us
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ATTENTION YOUNG DRIVERS!

By State Representative Don Humason, Jr.

January 12, 2008

Congratulations to Mayor Mike Boulanger and the members of the Westfield City Council, School Committee, G&E Board, and the Athenaeum Trustee who were all sworn in on Monday at the inauguration ceremony at North Middle School. I look forward to working with our new mayor and all municipal officials to keep Westfield moving in the right direction.

Winter gave us a bit of a reprieve this past week. Now that the snow and ice on the roads have melted we’re confronted with a problem that typically doesn’t arrive until later in the season: potholes. I was looking at the City of Westfield website recently (www.CityofWestfield.org) and noticed that the Department of Public Works has a pothole hotline. Call the Westfield DPW at 572-6226 to report any dangerous potholes.

The Massachusetts Presidential Primary date has been changed by the Legislature. The new date is Tuesday, February 5, 2008. The last date to register to vote or change party enrollment for this Primary is Wednesday, January 16. The City Clerk’s office at Westfield City Hall is available to assist you with this process. Call them at 572-6235.

It has come to my attention through recent contacts with my office that many of you have questions regarding the changes to the state’s Junior Operators License laws that affect our young drivers.

As you know, the Legislature passed sweeping changes to the Junior Operator Laws (JOL) back in December of 2006. These changes were made in response to an increase in traffic fatalities among new, young, inexperienced drivers. These changes occurred only after great publicity surrounding the tragic fatalities and after much debate and many discussions with public safety officials, parents, young drivers, and various driving schools.

To give my constituents a heads up, I wrote about the proposals back in a column from June 3, 2006 called Junior Operators License. Go to my website to read it at www.DonHumason.org.

Here are the changes that were implemented as part of the new law: Changes were made to the penalties a Junior Operator would incur if found in violation of speeding laws, passenger restriction laws, and others.

Speeding: The number one cause of so many fatalities among young drivers was excessive speeding. The Legislature felt that a strong message needed to be sent to our young drivers that if you are caught speeding there will be dire consequences.

1st offense of this violation will result in a 90 day suspension, driver attitudinal retraining course, a $500 reinstatement fee and that individual will have to take a new exam.
2nd and subsequent offense of this violation will result in a 1 year suspension, driver attitudinal retraining course, a $500 reinstatement fee and that individual will have to take a new exam.

Other violations like drag racing and operating to endanger also carry hefty fines and suspensions. These can be viewed at the Registry of Motor Vehicles Web site, www.mass.gov/rmv/jol.

Passenger Restriction: When driving for the first six months of one getting his or her license to operate a motor vehicle, only parents, guardians, siblings or any one over 21 may be in the car with a junior operator. Friends are not allowed in the car.

1st offense of this violation will result in a 60 day suspension of license and a $100 reinstatement fee
2nd offense of this violation will result in a 180 day suspension, a driver attitudinal retraining course and a $100 reinstatement fee
3rd offense of this violation will result in a one year suspension, a driver attitudinal retraining course and a $100 reinstatement fee

Time Restriction: When driving for the first six months of one getting his or her license to operate a motor vehicle, that individual cannot drive between the hours of 12:30 A.M. and 5:00 A.M.

The Legislature also made changes to the driver education phase and to the amount of practice driving one must do before receiving his or her JOL.

Basic Driver’s education:

1.        30 Hours of Class room instruction
2.        12 Hours of on-road driving
3.        6 Hours of on-road observation
4.        2 Hours of parental participation including instruction on driver’s education curriculum, junior operator restriction and penalties, and tips for teaching your child to drive during the 40 hours of parental supervision.

Supervised driving to obtain a Junior Operators license:

1. 40 Hours of parent/guardian supervised driving
2. Allows for 30 hours of parent/ guardian supervised driving if child completes advanced driver training course.

The Legislature felt that real teeth should be added to the new JOL laws to reflect the “zero tolerance” seriousness of the matter and impress upon young drivers what adult motorists in Massachusetts already know. Driving is not a right; it’s a privilege. And reckless driving can kill and maim and injure.

Finally, it was felt that the tough penalties, like the 30 day loss of license after a young driver’s first speeding ticket, would really hit home. As soon as one Junior Operator lost his or her license the news would spread throughout that individual’s circle of friends, peers, and school-mates, making a positive example of that person and encouraging others to think twice before speeding or otherwise breaking the JOL laws.

It appears to be working. According to RMV statistics, young driver deaths and accidents are down this year over the same period before the new JOL went into effect.

Representative Don Humason and his new aide Sarah Latour may be reached at their Westfield District office, 64 Noble Street, Westfield, MA 01085, 568-1366. Their Boston address is State House Room 542, Boston, MA 02133, (617) 722-2803. Email address: Rep.DonaldHumason@Hou.state.ma.us

This Site Designed and Maintained by: The Barre Group