The most dangerous types of people on the road are illegal drivers. However, Assembly Bill 60, a new law passed at the start of the year, can help reduce the amount of illegal drivers and in turn, keep roads safer. As of Jan. 1, 2015, any unregistered workers or illegal immigrants, sixteen years of age or older, will qualify for a driver’s license in California. An estimated 1.4 million people currently in America will have requested for a driver’s license as of Jan. 1, 2015. As more immigrants gain licenses, the roads will be more safe as the number of illegal drivers will be reduced. This will create more experienced drivers who will have an incentive to become legal. Once legal, they will increase economic growth, as they will supply more jobs.

According to Julia Preston of the New York Times, one in ten people drives illegally, or without a license, on a daily basis, and an estimated 4.5 million of these drivers are illegal immigrants. Even if drivers are caught, two-thirds of them continue to keep driving, according to the AAA traffic association. With this law in effect, the majority of these drivers will learn proper road etiquette, as they will complete drivers education and pass the behind-the-wheel test. The safety this provides is a huge benefit. According to the New York Times, around 30,000 illegal immigrants in recent years have been caught breaking common and simple traffic laws. Therefore, having this law in place will diminish the likelihood of these accidents occurring.

As more and more illegal immigrants obtain licenses, they will be influenced to become legal in the U.S. as a license is a step towards citizenship. Once legal, one has a better chance at a better job. As jobs are being filled, the economy is expanded. The growth in the economy also allows the U.S. to use many major companies inside the country, instead of offshoring, or the practice of using an overseas business or company to manufacture and ship. A large jump in the amount of jobs allows companies to build plants inside the U.S. and fill other needs that would usually be done by offshoring. Outsourcing has proven to be a major problem for the economy, with fewer jobs available for Americans. However, with the new amount of jobs and the creation of more products in the U.S., a stable and growing economy will be produced.

Many critics already do not believe that illegal immigrants should be allowed in the U.S., let alone have the right to get a license. They believe that one should not receive a license unless it can be proven that one is a citizen of the U.S. or a legal resident, mainly because of security reasons, such as not knowing where this person has come from or if they have a criminal record. However, all of this can be rectified through background checks which are mandatory regardless of citizenship status.

The law is really a restoration of what was legal up until 1994. This bill will improve road safety, create an opportunity for illegal immigrants to become legal, and produce economic growth. Safety should be a priority, rather than an option.