A new law for tougher penalties for habitual bad drivers with multiple traffic citations — to include possible vehicle forfeiture, higher fines and more jail time — sends the right message. How robustly it’ll be enforced, and whether it’ll deter scofflaws, remain to be seen — but let’s hope it will do some good. House Bill 2526 was signed into law, surviving a possible veto over administrative cost concerns.

HB 2526 was prompted by the traffic death of McKinley High School student Sara Yara, hit walking to school on Feb. 15, 2023, allegedly by driver Mitchel Miyashiro, 46, who had 164 prior traffic citations and had pleaded not guilty to driving without a license just nine days prior.