A PARENT is pushing for a new law that holds drivers accountable for the actions of others, even if they aren’t in the car with them.
The mother is advocating for new legislation set to go into effect on July 1 after her 16-year-old son died in a horrific car accident.
A new law will hold car owners responsible for other peoples actions (stock photo)[/caption]
The new law will hold car owners responsible for violations that have occurred and could result in fines of up to $2,500 or imprisonment.
Tammy Guido McGee pushed for three new bills that would hold parents responsible for their children’s actions.
Under the new bill, vehicle owners who allow an unlicensed minor to drive their car will be hit with a Class 1 misdemeanor.
McGee lost her teen son, Conner Guido, in a horrific car accident on October 26, 2019, due to the actions of an unlicensed driver.
“They only had a mile to go down the road,” McGee told NBC affiliate WWBT.
“They only made it 500 feet and that was it.”
The teenager driving the car was speeding at 70 mph, which is 30 mph over the speed limit.
“Ran off the road, hit a tree, and he killed all three occupants that night,” she said.
“Three boys lost their lives because someone allowed him to drive without a license.”
The mother said the driver had been driving to and from school with only a learner’s permit.
In Virginia, where the accident occurred, drivers under the age of 18 must have held their learner’s permit for nine months and completed driver’s education before they can obtain their license.
“What happened to those three boys should not have happened,” McGee said.
Since that fatal accident, McGee has been fighting to make sure parents are held responsible for their children’s actions.
She pushed for three bills, two of which forbid adults from knowingly allowing an unlicensed minor to operate a vehicle.
Virginia law already restricts this, but House Bill 1549 and Senate Bill 750 will make it harder for attorneys to find loopholes in the law.
“This piece of legislation is making it absolutely crystal clear, if you know and allow a teen driver to drive outside of the rules for teen driving in Virginia, you can and will be held accountable from now on,” McGee said.
Penalities for violating new Virignia law
If you violate the new law, which goes into effect on July 1, you will face a Class 1 misdemeanor.
In Virginia, a Class 1 misdemeanor is the most serious kind of misdemeanor offense.
It carries the possibility of up to 12 months in jail and/or a fine of $2,500.
Examples of a Class 1 misdemeanor include:
- Driving under the influence
- Reckless driving
- Assault and battery
- Tresspassing
Source: VirginiaRules.org
Virginia Republican politicians Chad Green and Danny Diggs both supported the passing of the bills.
“We’re trying to prevent having tragedies like this from happening again,” Green told WWBT.
“Will make it known to parents, ‘Hey, this not only unacceptable to do and dangerous but that you can be held accountable,’” Diggs said.
“And now that it’s a class one misdemeanor, you can go to jail and be fined.”
McGee hopes that this will help prevent other families from experiencing a similar tragedy.
“He’s not here. He’s not coming back. He’ll never give me grandchildren. But I’m able to use his tragedy to help other people and that does make me happy that maybe another mother won’t be me,” she said.
