English Only Driver's License Test?

According to the ProEnglish group, which is pushing for English to become the official language of the United States, nine states have instituted English only driver's license test laws. Many groups in Georgia hope that their state will soon make that count ten. According to the Gwinnett Daily Post Georgia is already part of the 30 states that have officially declared English to be their official language yet this doesn't directly extend to the driver's license test yet. Proponents of the English only driver's test bill, like Phil Kent who wrote this article, argue that this is a matter of public safety. Basically they claim that only English speakers can understand the rules of the road. This bill would ensure that people would have to be sufficiently fluent in traffic vocabulary. Perhaps their most valid claim is that drivers should at least be able to communicate with police official if there were to be an accident. As we discussed in class, miscommunications with police due to language can lead to serious and unintended consequences. On this point this, I agree that this would probably be the easiest solution to miscommunication with traffic patrol officers.

However, this article also implies that if people don't take the test in English they don't understand the basics rules of the road or what road signs mean. To me this doesn't actually work as a completely logical argument. It is true that all our signs are in English, which means that initially non-English speakers won't understand the meaning. However, like everyone who has to take the driving test it is important to learn the significance of these signs. As long as non-English speakers can learn to recognize the common signs and understand what their meaning in which ever language one thinks in,  that makes them just as capable of driving correctly. The driving test also includes detail about how many feet away from a fire hydrate you should park, how many feet you should be from the car in front of you when driving, ect. These rules are the same whether they are in English or not, so the written language on the test really is inconsequential.

The article in the Huffington Post brings up even more objections to the English only bill. Specifically it says that no research exist that indicate speaking English makes anyone a safer driver. In fact, many traffic signs are used internationally. It's the reason Americans can drive in other countries safely. The point is also made that this will negatively affect society as a whole because it further disables non-English speakers who suffer through low-paying jobs because they don't know the language. I feel that it is important for these people to learn English to improve their way of life. However, hindering their ability to get to work and support themselves will not further this goal; It will only make their lives harder in the present. A similar bill passed in Utah in 2000 and consequently some non-English speakers who could not get their license, began driving illegally. If anything this is more dangerous than if they had passed the test in their own language. Especially in cities with poor public transportation, this will be the response for many people who still need to get to work. This bill has so many negative aspects that degrade the rights of non-English speakers in this country. As long as they understand the rules of the road, in whatever language they speak, what are the consequences of them taking the drivers license test in which ever language they are most comfortable with?