MIAMI -- Hundreds of thousands of Florida motorists are driving with suspended or revoked licenses -- but lawmakers are hoping to put an end to the practice.

One out of every 17 drivers in Florida -- 800,000 people -- are behind the wheel with a suspended or revoked license. Officials say many of them don't know, but some do and don't care.

Lt. John Bagnardi, with the Florida Highway Patrol, says those motorists are not only breaking the law, they're more likely to run if police try to pull them over, and that can lead to crashes and even fatalities.

Bagnardi said, "Not to mention the insurance end of it -- where if you are the victim of a crash or something like that, generally these people are not insured …"

Lawmakers are considering a bill to crack down on unlicensed drivers. The law would let police impound your vehicle if they catch you with a suspended or revoked license. It would also let them send you to jail if you're caught more than once.

Many of the motorists who don't realize their license has been suspended have ended up in that position because they have racked up traffic infractions, but have changed their address without notifying the Department of Motor Vehicles. So, they don't end up getting notification in the mail

The proposed legislation would create a toll-free hotline to check your license status. Bill sponsor Rep. Ari Porth, a Democrat from Coral Springs, says that way there are no excuses, and authorities can get tough on lousy drivers.

"Not only some mandatory minimum jail time, but also let's take their car away," Porth said. "Let's make sure they can't do this again. Let's impound or boot their car until they clean up their licenses."

Porth's bill is named for Broward Sheriff's Deputy Ryan Seguin, who was hit and killed by a suspended driver as he ticketed another suspended driver during a traffic stop.

Supporters hope a law with some real teeth in it will finally get through to people who continue to break the rules.