Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine if and how non-driving related license suspensions impact affected individuals’ quality of life. We specifically examined if and if so, how these suspensions were related to individuals’ economic and financial stability, social and community relationships, and health and well-being. We conducted semi-structured phone interviews with 14 adults in New Jersey between September 2020 and January 2021. Participants had a non-driving related license suspension and were primarily recruited through community partners. A directed content analysis approach informed the development of the coding scheme. We identified 5 themes: loss of autonomy disrupting every day quality of life; compromised health; employment challenges; compromised social and community relationships; and the experience of having a license suspension. Participants reported a cascade of negative consequences across several aspects of their lives; as one aspect was affected, others worsened. Thus, non-driving related license suspensions appear to create or exacerbate unemployment and financial instability, isolation, and health issues (primarily mental health and substance abuse problems). This study provides insight into how non-driving related license suspension policies harm individuals and are potential examples of systemic racism/classism; our conclusion supports ongoing state- and federal-level efforts to end this practice.
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Data from this study can be made available by request to the corresponding author.
Notes
According to the Fines and Fees Justice Center and maps provided by Free to Drive (freetodrive.org) in August 2021, states that currently do not suspend, revoke, or prohibit the renewal of driver’s licenses for failure to pay: Oregon, California, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Minnesota, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, West Virginia, Virginia, Hawaii. States that currently do not suspend, revoke, or prohibit the renewal of driver’s licenses for failure to pay except in certain cases: Michigan, Georgia, and New York. States with partial or temporary reform of failure to pay suspensions, revocation, or renewal practices: Washington, Arizona, Texas, Arkansas, Indiana, Maryland, Vermont, Maine. States that continue to suspend licenses for failure to pay: New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Iowa, Missouri, Louisiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Alaska.
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Acknowledgments
We would like to thank our participants for sharing their perspectives and experiences with us, as well as our NJ community partners for supporting this study and assisting with recruitment. Additionally, the authors thank Drs. Nina Joyce, PhD, Cynthia Mollen, MD, Ms. Christina Labows, BA, and Mrs. Meghan Carey, MS, for their contributions to this study’s development and implementation.
Funding
This work was supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at the National Institutes of Health Awards R01HD079398 and R01HD096221 (PI: Curry) and by a Crognale grant from the Division of Emergency Medicine, Division of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. The sponsors had no role in the: design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; or decision to submit the manuscript for publication.
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Sartin, E.B., Ruggieri, D.G., Diogo, A. et al. Impacts of Non-Driving Related License Suspensions on Quality of Life: a Qualitative Study. Applied Research Quality Life 17, 2211–2227 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-021-10027-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-021-10027-7