A law that would take away your license if you left the scene of even a minor-injury accident has passed a key hurdle, it was announced today.

AB 1532 by L.A.-area state Assemblyman Mike Gatto would take drivers licenses from “motorists who flee the scene of any accident involving another person, even if the victim's injuries are minor,” his office states.

It made it past the assembly's Public Safety Committee with a unanimous vote, Gatto's office said today:
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“If you hit someone with your vehicle, you must stop,” Gatto told the committee today. “If you don't, you should lose your license.”

Here's the nitty gritty of the proposed law:

This bill would provide that a driver of a vehicle involved in an accident where a person is struck but not injured, shall immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident and provide specified information including, but not limited to, his or her name and current residence address.

Folks who fail to abide could face six months in jail, a $1,000 fine and six months without their licenses.

Gatto sparked his legislative assault on hit-and-runs following LA Weekly's coverage of L.A.'s intractable problems with these crimes.

See also: L.A.'s Bloody Hit-and-Run Epidemic

Last year his proposal to extend the statute of limitations on hit-and-run cases from three to six years was passed by the legislature and signed by the governor.

See also: Hit-&-Run Suspects Can Be Nabbed 6 Years Later Under New Law

)Gatto says:

The only way to know if you hurt someone is to stop. The only way to get someone medical help is to stop. Allowing drivers who don't stop to keep their license, adds insult to their victim's injuries.

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