A recent audit shows that there are at least 35,000 dead people in California with valid handicapped placards. The Sacramento Bee, sacbee.com, reports that when Department of Motor Vehicle handicapped placard records are compared to a federal database of deceased individuals, thousands of matches show up. Not only that, other data shows that thousands of handicapped placard holders are aged 100 or older.
Based on the dates of birth provided by applicants, they determined that nearly 26,000 of the people holding permanent and temporary placards were 100 years or older as of June 30, 2016. Yet they said California’s estimated centenarian population as of 2014 was only about one-third of that number.
Other interesting numbers include the fact that in Del Norte County, the ratio of disabled placards and plates to registered cars and trucks is close to 5 to 1. Lots of handicapped people in Del Norte county.
Auditors are asking the state legislature to allow the DMV to compare handicapped placard holder rolls to the Social Security Administration’s database. They are also recommending requiring people who apply for handicapped parking privileges to show proof of their legal name and age.
Excuse me while I digest the news that these practices are not already in place. I know that just because something makes perfect sense doesn’t mean it’s actually going to happen. There are plenty of reasons why we let dead people keep their handicapped parking privileges – mainly faulty procedures and limited funds. But we can’t deny that the deficits in this system are directly responsible for the numerous occurrences of abuse.
Read the article here.
