CalMatters Investigates Why Dangerous California Drivers Are Still Behind the Wheel

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KQED

News Commentary, News, Politics

4.2 • 727 Ratings

🗓️ 1 May 2025

⏱️ 56 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Why do California drivers often get to keep a valid license, even after they kill someone on the road? A new CalMatters investigation studied tens of thousands of DMV driver reports and found that nearly 40 percent of the drivers charged with vehicular manslaughter since 2019 are able to drive on the road today. Nearly 400 of those drivers have caused other collisions since their first fatal crash. We’ll talk to the reporter behind the investigation and a road safety expert about the DMV protocols and state policies at play. And want to hear from you: When should someone lose their driver’s license? Guests: Robert Lewis, reporter, CalMatters; author, CalMatters investigation "License to Kill" Leah Shahum, founder and executive director, Vision Zero Network; former executive director, San Francisco Bicycle Coalition Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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1:10.5	I'm Leslie McClurg in for Mina Kim.
1:13.4	In October 2023, a speeding driver with a valid California license crossed into oncoming traffic and killed three women.
1:22.7	The driver had a long history of risky driving, including fleeing police, causing a collision, and a dozen speeding
1:28.7	tickets. A new CalMatters investigation reveals how California's DMV has a pattern of allowing
1:35.0	deadly drivers to keep their licenses. When should someone lose their right to drive? That's next on
1:40.7	Forum after this news.
1:58.4	Welcome to Forum. I'm Leslie McClurg. I'm in today for Mina Kim.
2:04.2	When I was 16, I lost a classmate to a drunk driver. It happened on a freeway in the middle of the day. So when I read the new Cal Matters investigation about how
2:10.6	California lets these deadly drivers, even those with multiple DUIs or reckless driving charges keep their licenses, I was pretty struck.
2:21.6	I can't believe you can get back on the road if you've killed someone.
2:25.7	The name of the Cal Matters piece is apt, licensed to kill.
2:30.3	And we have the author, Robert Lewis, in studio today.
2:33.4	He is an investigative reporter for Cal Matteratters and obviously co-author of License to Kill.
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