Truck driver Scott Hewitt may have done the state a favor with his terrible behavior.

His disregard for the law and unwillingness to take responsibilities for his actions have drawn attention to an alarming problem: Drivers who repeatedly flout the law and avoid serious consequences.

State Sen. Bill Diamond, who is also a former secretary of state, is leading the pack of lawmakers seeking a way to keep drivers off the road who have had their licenses suspended. He has filed legislation that will put real teeth into motor vehicle laws.

The bill would create three classes of penalty for bad drivers. Those with four suspensions in three years would see their license revoked for one year. If they continue to drive, they would receive a three-month jail term. Drivers with five to eight suspensions in three years would have their license revoked for three years and face a felony conviction and a year in jail if caught driving. Those with more than eight suspensions in three years would lose their license for five years and be convicted of a felony with a two-year prison term.

The details of the bill should be reviewed by the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, which Diamond chairs. The breakdown of the classes, the length of time in each and the penalties might need to be tweaked when they are considered with a comprehensive look at what the effects would be on drivers, police, courts and jails. The committee process is also the place to consider unintended consequences of the proposal, which could include more high-speed chases as scofflaws try to escape tough justice. And it is the place to combine Diamond’s ideas with policy recommendations from the governor’s task force, which had its first meeting this week.

Two years and a felony conviction add significant punch to traffic laws. Whether repeat offenders will change behavior is hard to judge, but at least the state could be sure they won’t be driving while they’re in jail.

Diamond cites the high number of drivers – more than 8,000 – who have had their license suspended 15 or more times. “The recent fatal accident involving Scott Hewitt of Presque Isle has revealed a severe problem with the excessive presence of Mainers who have many violations on their driving record,” he said in a release.

By introducing legislation now, Diamond is making sure the issue won’t be forgotten by the time the Legislature returns to Augusta.