AAMVA Blog

What’s Behind a Driver’s License? Attend AAMVA’s Webinar and Find Out

2013-04-17T18:07:58Z

You’d think producing a little piece of plastic would be a pretty straightforward endeavor here in 2013…nope.

What’s behind that reality? A million moving parts with an unbelievable complexity that transcends just a manufacturing challenge but a process where the political, the technical and the programmatic worlds collide.

AAMVA and our members have been working for decades through an evolution of the driver’s license--and what needs to be done and how-- in order to get us where we need to be. The upcoming webinar takes a look at the origins of the coordination efforts and recounts humble beginnings that eventually led to the driver’s license becoming the de-facto identification for North America.

We’ll be walking through the current driver’s license standardization strategy with an eye on where things are headed and discussing some of the resources and tools that are available to assist in keeping folks on course.

By Geoff Slagle, Director, Identity Management, AAMVA

Webinar Details

Title: AAMVA’s Card Design Standard and Beyond
Date: Wednesday, April 24, 2-3 PM (ET)
Speakers: Cindy Gerber, Director, South Dakota Department of Public Safety
Loffie Jordaan, Manager, Fischer Consulting
Host: Geoff Slagle, Director, Identity Management, AAMVA

Register today at https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/436972208!

Distracted Driving Kills—The Fight to End it Starts with You

2013-04-05T14:54:58Z

I admit it—I’ve done it. I’ve read and responded to a text while driving my car. I couldn’t resist. I heard the text come in, and without thinking reached for my phone and proceeded to read and answer a text. After which I set my phone down—actually put it on vibrate and shoved it deep in my purse—rolled my eyes at myself for the complete foolishness of the action and vowed to never do it again.

April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. We should be aware of this epidemic that is sweeping through our nation throughout the entire year, but let’s use this month to really drill it in to those who still just don’t seem to get it.

Every day I hear stories about people who have died, been seriously injured, or have had near misses all due to distractions in the car. Not just texting or cell phone use either: kids, changing music, food, hot coffee, cigarettes, etc. We all know there is no way to completely eliminate distractions in any environment. But there are ways that we can reduce the amount of distractions in order to provide the safest environment possible while operating a vehicle.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 3,000 people were killed in distracted driving crashes in the U.S. in 2010. In fact, you’re 23 times more likely to crash in you text while driving (www.distraction.gov). What’s worse is that 40% of all American teens say they have been in a car when the driver used a cell phone in a way that put people in danger (see 2009 PEW report). Because text messaging requires visual, manual, and cognitive attention from the driver, it poses the greatest distracted driving threat on our nation’s roads.

That said, don’t you think that maybe it’s time to say enough is enough? The next time you get behind the wheel, turn your phone off. Tell your friends, family, colleagues, that you are not always going to be able to respond to their calls and texts right away. If you’re a passenger and you see the driver reach for a phone, don’t let it go unnoticed. The stories and statistics speak for themselves…don’t allow yourself or your loved ones to be a part of any of it.

So—the next time you or someone you love gets behind the wheel, what steps will you take to ensure you get to your destination safe and sound?

By Amanda Mesones, Electronic Communications Specialist, AAMVA

There are many online distracted driving resources you can take a look at. Here are just a few:

AAMVA Staff Participate in IACP Highway Safety Committee Meeting

2013-03-18T19:34:43Z

On Saturday and Sunday, March 16 & 17, AAMVA Director of Law Enforcement Brian Ursino attended the IACP Highway Safety Committee meeting. Brian is a special consultant to the committee. AAMVA CEO Neil Schuster was also in attendance as was AAMVA Board member Colonel Ron Replogle of the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The highlights of the meeting include:

Brian presented AAMVA's recently published "Best Practices Guide to Reducing Suspended Drivers"
Brian co-presented recommended changes to the IACP National Law Enforcement Challenge (NLEC) Award Program (Brian is a member of the NLEC subcommittee)
Colonel Replogle led a discussion on the challenges to law enforcement due to the legalization of recreational use marijuana in Colorado and Washington and the trafficking effects already being observed in neighboring states
Under the guidance of Chairman Joe Farrow, Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol, the entire group participated in the development of a new Mission and Vision statement for the Committee.

The next meeting of Highway Safety Committee will be hosted by the Ontario Provincial Police in June 2013. Any questions regarding the IACP Highway Safety Committee should be directed to Brian.

Schuster Rubs Elbows with Other Highway Safety Advocates in Panel Discussion on Capitol Hill

2013-03-06T16:36:05Z

AAMVA President Neil Schuster joined NHTSA Administrator David Strickland and Jacqueline Gillan, President of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety in a panel discussion on vehicle technology and road safety during the Transportation & Infrastructure Convention on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. John Horsley, former Executive Director of AASHTO moderated the panel and served as Master of Ceremonies for the convention.

Strickland told the audience that technology represents a “huge and dramatic opportunity to move safety forward,” noting that innovative vehicle systems could eliminate up to 80 percent of crashes involving unimpaired drivers. The panel covered in-vehicle systems, including autonomous driving, vehicle to vehicle applications and vehicle to infrastructure systems.

Sixteen years ago, the City of Irving, Texas and a number of other cities, counties and stakeholders created a transportation and infrastructure summit, held every August in Irving. The DC convention is an offshoot of that summit, and for the past six years has been held in Washington, DC in March.

eID Working Group Moves Forward

2013-01-09T20:24:41Z

Ten years ago MOVE Magazine featured a cover story titled “Are You Who You Say You Are? Prove it!” Fast-forward a decade and AAMVA’s eID Working Group is working on approaches to allow individuals to prove who they to conduct online transactions.

The Working Group met in Savannah, Georgia ahead of the AAMVA Board meeting to review our Cross-Sector Digital Identity Initiative (CSDII), a project (U.S.-government funded) to demonstrate an innovative framework to achieve an identity ecosystem – an online environment where individuals and organizations can trust each other because they follow agreed upon standards to obtain and authenticate their digital identities. The idea is to eventually replace the current system of user name/password which proves cumbersome to most of us and is vulnerable to identity theft.

Virginia DMV and AAMVA created CSDII, working with CA Technologies, BioSig, Microsoft, AT&T and our concept was one of a handful of proposals chosen by the U.S. government to work toward the goals of the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace (NSTIC).

The group also reviewed the results of an AAMVA eID survey of jurisdictions and reviewed the Working Group charter as it relates to items identified in the State Identity and Credential Access Management (SICAM) Guidance and Roadmap, a document produced by the National Association of State Chief Information Officers. SICAM outlines a strategic vision for state-based identity, credential, and access management efforts.

The Working Group will create a white paper on eID for the AAMVA community and others and plans to have an outline in place for discussion at the AAMVA Workshop with a final draft for discussion at regional annual conferences and the AIC this summer.

Dave Burhop, Deputy Commissioner and Chief Information Officer for Virginia DMV chairs the working group. Geoff Slagle, AAMVA’s Director of Identity Management, provides staff support. Geoff can be reached at gslagle@aamva.org.

By Neil Schuster, AAMVA President and CEO

The Fiscal Follies Continue

2013-01-08T17:00:13Z

With the “fiscal cliff” behind Congress, Republicans are looking ahead to how they can utilize their bargaining power to best leverage their conservative ideals in upcoming fiscal negotiations. A series of fiscal deadlines is approaching in the coming months, and GOP congressional heads are discussing the possibility of a government shutdown to get serious spending cuts that were not a part of the New Year’s Day deal.

By late-March, Congress will confront three fiscal deadlines: the debt-ceiling limit, sequestration on a number of federal programs, and the expiration of the current continuing resolution. GOP leaders have come out explaining that Republicans aggravated with out-of-control spending would take a tough stance on the first of the deadlines. Choosing to use the debt limit as political ammo could make the GOP responsible for a default, which could result in a government shutdown.

Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn (TX-R) said in an opinion piece in the Houston Chronicle on Friday, “It may be necessary to partially shut down the government in order to secure the long-term fiscal well being of our country, rather than plod along the path of Greece, Italy and Spain.”

However, President Obama has warned that he will stonewall any negotiations over the debt limit.

In the agreement reached to avert the “fiscal cliff,” two-thirds of House Republicans opposed the measure, citing a lack of spending cuts and higher taxes for high-income taxpayers contained in the deal. Although some conservative leaders are siding with Senator Cornyn , other Republicans remain wary. The government shutdowns during the Clinton-era caused a backlash against Republicans, experts argue, so the repercussive effects still linger in the minds of some GOP members.

As the politicians carry on the diatribe, economists and fiscal analysts have proposed another whimsical solution to skirt the debt ceiling limit: mint a $1 trillion coin. Originally intended to cast commemorative coins, the Department of the Treasury has the ability, codified in U.S. law, to mint platinum coins in any denomination the secretary chooses. The Treasury could mint a $1 trillion coin and deposit it in the Federal Reserve's coffers. It would then have enough in its reserves to continue operations without needing to raise the debt ceiling. The notion of a $1 trillion dollar coin may sound ludicrous to avoid a limit compromise, but some economists point to playing “political football” with our economy is also tantamount to insanity.

Threats of a government shutdown.

Obstinacy to negotiate.

Minting artificial legal tender.

All new acts in the Fiscal Follies of 2013.

By Andrew Guevara, AAMVA Government Affairs Coordinator

Next Week is Older Driver Safety Awareness Week

2012-11-26T16:18:08Z

December 3rd through 7th is Older Driver Safety Awareness Week. The population of licensed drivers is rapidly aging. The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that 13% of persons over the age of 65 and 45% of persons over 85 will be affected by Alzheimer’s disease. No one knows the prevalence of dementia among licensed drivers. Knowing when a driver should give up the keys and the resulting changes on their mobility could mean giving up their treasured independence and quality of life. It is the driver’s ability, not age, which should be taken into considerations. Drivers should be allowed to continue to drive as long as possible provided there is a reasonable expectation they can safely operate a vehicle. Only when an individual poses an imminent threat to public safety should their driving privilege be restricted or withdrawn. Older drivers and their family member should discuss and prepare for a time when driving may potentially become limited, long before their driving is perceived as hazardous. Jurisdictions are aware that Baby Boomers are coming. Changes and accommodations are being made in areas to increase highway safety. MVA’s can help in this campaign by raising the awareness of this growing issue by promoting safe mobility for life.

Check out these older driver resources:

By Tom Manuel, Program Director, Driver Fitness, AAMVA

RICS Working Group Meets in San Francisco

2012-11-19T18:30:39Z

The Registration and Insurance Card Standardization (RICS) Working Group (WG) met in San Francisco November 15 & 16, 2012. The RICS WG includes several representatives from the Insurance Industry Committee on Motor Vehicle Administration (IICMVA) and San Francisco was chosen so the meeting could be held in the days immediately following the IICMVA meeting previously planned for San Francisco. This WG is supported by Cathie Curtis, AAMVA Director of Vehicle Programs, Tom Manuel, AAMVA Program Manager, and Brian Ursino, AAMVA Director of Law Enforcement. In addition to AAMVA staff and IICMVA representatives, the WG includes AAMVA MVA and law enforcement jurisdiction members and a representative of the AAMVA Industry Advisory Board. The meeting was also attended by AAMVA President & CEO, Neil Schuster who had been in California earlier in the week for another meeting.

Brian Ursino facilitated the meeting while real time draft document edits were managed by Cathie Curtis. All the WG members were engaged and provided valuable editorial feedback and the result of the meeting was substantial progress toward a final draft of a new publication tentatively titled “Motor Vehicle Registration and Insurance identification Best Practices for Paper and Electronic Credentials”. Although the deadline for this publication is not until September 2013, the WG has established a May 2013 publication goal.

By Brian Ursino, Director, Law Enforcement, AAMVA

Our Thanksgiving Message to You? Don't Become Another Statistic, BE SAFE on the Roadways!

2012-11-19T14:28:45Z

In the U.S., we are about to enjoy our traditional Thanksgiving Day (Canada celebrates Thanksgiving Day in October), a great time to relax with family and friends and take a break from work. Thanksgiving weekend is the most traveled holiday period of the year, with as much as 90% of travel by car. That’s more than 43 million travelers going more than 50 miles during the holiday (the average Thanksgiving trip is 588 miles). Unfortunately, this makes the holiday weekend one of the most dangerous on the road. Heavy traffic and a potential combination of heavy meals (the traditional turkey contains Tryptophan, a natural sleep aid) and alcohol all make for a significant number of drowsy drivers on often-congested roads. The burden falls largely to law enforcement agencies to keep us safe once the holiday weekend begins.

The holiday is a great time to remind the public about safe driving habits – buckle up, obey speed limits, stay alert and avoid alcohol when behind the wheel. And perhaps turn over cell phone duties to a passenger. Of course, we all know this and my guess is a large majority of the public also knows this. The challenge is to get people to take that knowledge and act on it. Someone once said, “The door to safety swings on the hinges of common sense.” We need to get more people to walk through that door.

By Neil Schuster, President and CEO

DL Suspensions/Revocations Should Address Poor Driving Behavior, Not Social Non-Conformance

2012-11-05T20:03:33Z

Driver’s license suspensions/revocations were originally intended as a sanction to address poor driving behavior. Now they have evolved and are being used as a mechanism to gain compliance with non-highway safety, or social non-conformance, reasons. In 2002, drivers suspended for social non-conformance reasons represented 29 percent of all suspended drivers. By 2006, this group represented 39 percent of all suspended drivers.

AAMVA’s Suspended and Revoked Working Group (SRWG) has produced a document titled “Best Practices Guide to Reducing Suspended Drivers” which is in the final editing and review stage with NHTSA, the funding agency of this project. It is the recommendation of the Suspended/Revoked Working Group that legislatures repeal state laws requiring the suspension of driving privileges for non-highway safety related violations.

Eliminating driver’s license suspensions for non-highway safety violations will significantly reduce the burden on departments of motor vehicles (DMV’s), law enforcement, the courts and society. DMVs for example, incur exorbitant costs to create program systems and process these newly legislated suspension types. When engaged with a suspended driver, law enforcement resources are diverted from immediate and threatening community needs such as responding to 9-11 calls. Eliminating 39 percent of suspended drivers will result in fewer citations for driving while under suspension and partially alleviate clogged court dockets. Individuals whose offense is unrelated to highway safety will retain their driving privileges, their ability to earn a living, and their ability to contribute to the economy.

Join us on Wednesday, November 14th as we explore the issue of suspended and revoked legislation, and what you can expect to see in the “Best Practices Guide to Reducing Suspended Drivers.” AAMVA’s Brian Ursino will host a webinar where you’ll hear from Robert Mikell (Commissioner, Georgia DDS, and Chair of the SRWG). Register online today!

By Brian Ursino, Law Enforcement Director, AAMVA

Next Stop: The Future

2012-10-24T18:24:31Z

The future of travel is closer to the Jetsons rather the Flintstones, said Washington, D.C., City Council member Jack Evans on Tuesday. And it very well may be. D.C.'s city council heard testimony on legislation (Bill 19-931) that would legalize driverless vehicles, or autonomic vehicles, on city streets within the District for testing purposes. If D.C. were to pass the bill, it would join California, Nevada, and Florida in the ranks of governments that have approved legislation allowing for testing on city streets and the issuance of driver’s license endorsements for driverless cars.

Supporters of the vehicles, including Daimler and Volvo, testified at the hearing before the Council's transportation committee with the indication that driverless cars would reduce human error on the roads and crashes, congestion and improve the environment.

Sponsors of the legislation say it needs to be further refined, but the bill will likely come to a committee vote within weeks. Several council members have already been inside of Google’s test car and are excited about the prospects of this legislation passing.

Meanwhile, in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., Volvo sponsored a discussion about the future of automated vehicles hosted at the Swedish Embassy. David Strickland, chief administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), said at the presentation that the agency has held extensive discussions about what needs to be done before these vehicles can safely be introduced to consumers. The federal government is preparing to launch a research initiative to determine the safety and reliability of automated driving technologies.

When will these cars be available? Daimler representative David Trebing said the company’s fully autonomous cars would not be available for another decade or more. Google has stated contrarily that they could be available within the next decade. With auto makers and technology companies such as Google quickening the pace of getting legislation passed on the state level to test vehicles, they scored multiple wins in the nation’s capitol on Tuesday. They cleared the way for testing approval in one of America’s densest cities and a fourth state-like government. Above all, they simultaneously made further headway with the federal government that would service them across all fifty states. We are far from the flying cars in the Jetsons, but the stopover this week has created much buzz in the capital.

By Andrew Guevara, AAMVA Government Affairs Coordinator

Senate Republicans Urge Restraint on Cybersecurity

2012-10-22T17:15:52Z

Recently, Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), and Richard Lugar (R-IN) sent a letter to the White House urging President Obama not to issue an executive order on the subject of cybersecurity. They requested that he take into consideration the importance of passing a bill through the legislative process rather than forming policy through executive action. The senators reasoned, “The ramifications of a national cybersecurity policy for the public and private sectors are significant and deserve the transparency and legitimacy that can be achieved only though the legislative process.”

Administration officials began drafting an executive order after the Senate failed to come to an agreement on cybersecurity legislation in August. The Cybersecurity Act would have established cybersecurity standards for critical infrastructure and would have also created an exchange for companies and the government to share cyber threats. Last week, another group of Senate Republicans set a letter to the president mirroring this week’s request.

The president’s executive reaction comes in response to the relentless partisan stalemate in Congress that prevented a proposal from being agreed upon prior to the August recess. This is far from the only issue that the president has reacted to by offering an executive order to combat congressional inaction. While national cybersecurity has been a main focus of the administration, especially over the course of the last year, any measures on cybersecurity will have a significant impact on the country's security and economic wellbeing. According to Congress, a true solution can only be achieved when they exercise their legislative authority to address all the fundamental issues that extend beyond the scope of the executive offices. That being said, cooperation amongst all stakeholders involved is fundamental to ensuring a well-crafted and stalwart solution to mending the country’s cyberpitfalls.

By Andrew Guevara, AAMVA Government Affairs Coordinator

Brian Ursino Attends IACP Conference and Associated Meetings

2012-10-10T15:48:06Z

Brian Ursino, AAMVA’s Director of Law Enforcement participated to the IACP Conference and associated meetings September 17^th-October 2^nd in San Diego, CA. Ursino currently chairs the IACP Division of State and Provincial Police (S&P) Alumni Section, and sits on the IACP S&P Executive Board which held its Annual meeting on Friday, September 28. Alumni Section members are predominantly retired State Police/Patrol Colonels or Lieutenant Colonels who like Ursino, have moved into other professions that contribute to public and traffic safety. On September 28^th, the S&P Executive Committee conducted its Annual Meeting and that evening John Batiste, WSP Chief and General Chair of the S&P hosted a reception in the auditorium of Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres.

On Saturday (September 29^th) Ursino chaired the annual meeting of the S&P Alumni Section with special guest John Batiste in attendance. A total of 21 S&P Alumni members were in attendance. Immediately following the Alumni Section was the S&P business meeting which was attended by Colonels from more than 40 states, and law enforcement executives from the RCMP and other Canadian law enforcement executives. Also in attendance were several federal partners and other stakeholders, including AAMVA’s President and CEO, Neil Schuster. One of the business meeting highlights included a presentation on the Aurora, Colorado, mass shooting and the role of the State Fusion Center. The lunchtime speaker of the day was Tom Garfinkel, President of the San Diego Padres who spoke about Leadership Lessons. The S&P Annual Banquet was held Saturday night where the position of S&P General Chair officially transitioned from John Batiste to Colonel Mike Edmonson of the Louisiana State Police, who will hold the S&P General Chair position for the next two-years.

Following his participation in the IACP 5K Run along Mission Bay on Sunday, September 30^th, Ursino attended an invitation-only focus group hosted by 3M to provide feedback on a license plate micro site (webpage) they plan to launch later this year. This meeting was also attended by AAMVA Board member Colonel Rob Replogle, Missouri Highway Patrol. On Sunday afternoon from 1-5 p.m., Ursino served as a “Special Consultant” to the IACP Highway Safety Committee meeting. It was during this meeting, that Ursino provided an AAMVA update including a highlight of the recent publication of our “Best Practices Guide for Improving Automated License Plate Reader Effectiveness through Uniform License Plate Design and Manufacture”.

Monday’s IACP Conference highlight was the First General Assembly. The featured speakers were (in speaking order): Khoo Boon Hui, President of Interpol; Mr. Sean Joyce, Deputy Director, FBI; and The Honorable Eric H. Holder, Jr., Attorney General of the United States.

And on Tuesday, October 2^nd the conference highlighted the presentation of the Annual Highway Safety Awards. National Law Enforcement Challenge (NLEC) Awards are given to agencies judged to be best in class for their efforts in meeting established traffic safety criteria.

Congratulations go to the following AAMVA member agencies that won in the State Police/Highway Patrol categories:

State Category 1 (1 – 250 Sworn Officers): Montana Highway Patrol;

State Category 2 (251 – 500 Sworn Officers: Nebraska State Patrol (1st Place) and Vermont State Police (2nd Place);

State Category 3 (501 – 1,000 Sworn Officers): Colorado State Patrol (1st Place) and Tennessee Highway Patrol (2nd Place);

State Category 4 (1,001 – 2,500 Sworn Officers): Washington State Patrol (1st Place) and Massachusetts State Police (2nd Place);

State Category 5 (2,501 or more Sworn Officers): California Highway Patrol.

Injunction Junction, what’s your function?

2012-10-09T16:43:58Z

The chronicle of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s voter ID law may have finally ended–at least for the time being. After being sent the state’s voter ID law from the state Supreme Court to decide its constitutionality, Commonwealth Court Judge Robert E. Simpson Jr. ordered a temporary injunction barring the law from being enforced before the November general elections. (Ironically, Simpson is the same judge who had initially upheld the law in August before being sent to the Supreme Court.)The judge reasoned this time around that the law did not allow potential voters to receive the IDs they needed in time for the elections. He said in his 17-page opinion, “…I am still not convinced in my predictive judgment that there will be no voter disenfranchisement" if the law was to take effect immediately.

He cited his concern over the gap between the expected number of voter IDs having to be issued and the actual number being distributed in the five weeks until the election. Despite the injunction, poll workers can still ask voters for identification, but they cannot prevent them from voting if they do not present one. Provisional ballots will also not have to be filled out. The temporary halt can become permanent if Judge Simpson offers a further determination on the case after the election.

The full 17-page opinion can be read here: http://www.pacourts.us/NR/rdonlyres/CFBF4323-B964-4846-8179-88D689375C10/0/CMWSuppDetAppPrelInjOrder_100212.pdf

By Andrew Guevara, AAMVA Government Affairs Coordinator

AAMVA…Yeah, We Do That…

2012-10-09T16:42:22Z

By Amanda Mesones, Electronic Communications Specialist, AAMVA

The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators…AAMVA. Ever wonder what it really means to be part of AAMVA?

Join Ian Grossman, AAMVA's Vice President of Member Services & Public Affairs for a discussion on everything you never knew you didn't know about AAMVA, and more.

You’ll get a chance to roll up your sleeves and really gain an understanding of what we DO for our members. You'll hear the latest information, products, best practices and services that AAMVA offers its members. Register today at www.aamva.org/Webinar-Series/

The Webinar is a great opportunity for AAMVA members who aren’t able to attend the workshops and conferences to gather in a room, log in, and learn. Attend and find out how AAMVA is here to serve you, from A to Z. You'll hear the latest information, products, best practices and services that AAMVA offers its members.

Let’s take a sneak peak at what you’ll learn about:

As part of the public sector, we all know that time and money are the biggest constraints to our daily functioning. So, an important resource that AAMVA provides is member networking: meetings, conferences, workshops, information exchange, committees, working groups, you name it. These opportunities allow our members to come together, exchange ideas, challenges, and solutions so that we’re not all spending time and resources “reinventing the wheel,” so to speak.

You’ll learn about our in-house experts who help members identify and solve key MVA issues such as older drivers, distracted driving, ignition interlocks, unconventional vehicles, ID card standards, and much more. Get the low-down on AAMVA’s committee structure and the value they provide. Each year, working groups from each of AAMVA’s three committees roll out best practices for use by our members. Such best practices include the DL/ID card design standard, driver fitness medical guidelines, graduated driver licensing, mini-truck best practices, and internal fraud detection and deterrence. Some highly anticipated resources that are expected to be released soon include a motorcycle operator’s manual, a best practice on registration and titling of unconventional vehicles, and a best practice on handling drivers with suspended and revoked licenses.

Did you know we also provide a courtesy verification program? Fraudulent document recognition training? CDL examiner training? How about, certification for driver, motorcycle and commercial examiners? Oh yeah...we do all that!

PLUS--We provide the technical props to make it all work! These include document verification systems, driver license data verification system, and even a high-quality, cost-effective data communications network service connecting buyer access to all 51 motor vehicle licensing jurisdictions.

Of course, with emerging issues such as medical fitness, impaired driving, distracted driving, tolls, and vehicle miles traveled, we need to be able to keep in touch with our members. Our flagship publication, MOVE magazine, is now also online providing the latest information on all these issues and more. We're also in the social media sphere with Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. And, let's not forget, AAMVA's newly redesigned Web site.

All of this we do, and more...for our members!

So, if you are in the MVA community, and you've asked yourself "Does AAMVA do that?" Why don't you join us online for the "AAMVA...Yeah we do that" webinar on Wednesday, October 10th at 2:00 PM. You'll probably be surprised at all the things you never knew you didn't know about AAMVA. Register today at www.aamva.org/Webinar-Series/

AAMVA Staff Join Other Experts at ISO WG10 Meeting

2012-10-01T19:16:58Z

By Geoff Slagle, Director, Identity Management

New Orleans - For the first time in thirteen years the U.S. is playing host to the annual plenary for the ISO technical committee (ISO JTC1/SC17) and its working groups that are responsible for international standards relating to identification cards and devices. Both the technical committee and the working groups are made up of representatives / experts from industrial, technical and business sectors that have an interest in or a need for these standards (including representatives of government agencies, testing laboratories, consumer associations, and so on). The experts participate as national delegations from 34 countries (an additional 15 countries are categorized as observers), chosen by the ISO national member for the country concerned (for the U.S. this is the American National Standards Institute). AAMVA’s Mike Calvin and Geoff Slagle are both part of the U.S. delegation for ANSI.

Much of the meeting for WG10 (Driving License) is focusing on Part 3 of the ISO 18013 standard that addresses access control, authentication and integrity validation. This part of the standard creates a common basis for international use and mutual recognition of the ISO compliant DL without impeding individual countries/states to apply their privacy rules and national/community/regional motor vehicle authorities in taking care of their specific needs.

Access control (i.e. limiting access to the machine readable data recorded on the IDL).
Document authentication (i.e. confirming that the document was issued by the claimed issuing authority).
Data integrity validation (i.e. confirming that the data was not changed since issuing).

Push It Back

2012-09-21T13:06:14Z

By Andrew Guevara, AAMVA Government Affairs Coordinator

All electoral eyes are once again back on the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania this week. On Tuesday, the state Supreme Court sent the state’s voter ID case back to Commonwealth Court Judge Robert E. Simpson Jr. The law in question requires voters to show photo ID to cast a ballot in any election. The highest court in the state directed the lower court judge to issue a preliminary injunction if he determines voters will be disenfranchised at the polls by not having “liberal access” to the proper identification.

Simpson ruled on Aug. 15 against a request by a union of opponents fighting the voter ID law to prevent it from going into effect by the November general elections. Since then, PennDOT began offering a new voter ID on Aug. 27 for voters who could not obtain other forms of identification. The state has issued approximately 9,000 IDs to date.

Simpson must offer an opinion on the matter by Oct. 2.

Omnibus or Bust

2012-09-12T17:04:45Z

by Andrew Guevara, AAMVA Government Affairs Coordinator

After a relatively sedate summer since the passage of MAP-21, the latest highway reauthorization bill, the subject of highway funding has squirmed itself into the Capitol chambers again. With the continuing resolution (H J Res 117) scheduled to be debated and voted on the House floor this week, Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) has expressed her anxiety with the current proposal that would cut highway formula spending in FY13 to $39.14 billion from the current level of $39.7 billion, approximately a half-billion dollars, and jeopardize 17,000 construction related jobs.

The continuing resolution would fund the government for another six months and extend current spending levels but if passed as a “clean CR,” it could risk new programs authorized by MAP-21. House Republicans explained that the new programs can only be fully funded by a corresponding appropriations bill, which would most likely occur through a FY13 omnibus appropriations bill. Despite the lack of funding for new authorized highway programs, current programs that were axed in the reauthorization bill, such as the TIGER grants, would still exist for another six months.

Highway safety advocacy groups have urged both the House and Senate to support the nation's priority highway safety grant program, enacted by Section 405 of MAP-21. The grant program was a consolidation of multiple safety grant programs into one new program. The program will streamline the grant process as related to highway safety programs to save time and money. With Congressional policymakers continuing to debate the ideological schisms between controlled spending and the need for revamped safety programs, the language used in the six-month continuing resolution could serve as a barometer indicating which way the wind is blowing.

No Belt. No Brains.

2012-08-30T14:16:27Z

By Andrew Guevara, AAMVA Government Affairs Coordinator

As the August recess crickets chirp and congressional staffers relish in their respite from the chaos of the regular legislative session, we wanted to take our readers to the other side of the planet for a look at the absurd. Hot buzz is a flowing over a new fashion trend in China: t-shirts with diagonal strips across the chest mimicking seat belts. The outlandish pieces of clothing are a statement against the country’s often scoffed at seat belt laws. Police first began noticing online advertisements for the shirts on August 17th. The sellers are promoting the shirts as “a must-have for drivers.”

Seat belts have been mandatory for drivers and front-seat passengers since 1993. However, ninety-percent of drivers do not abide by the law, resulting in this being the third-leading cause of traffic accident fatalities in China. As expected, law enforcement officials in the country are not laughing at this new mode of expression.

While these t-shirts are ludicrous (to say the least), they serve as a testament to those who mock public safety measures. Unfortunately, overseas trends have the possibility of becoming a trend here, which domestic law enforcement should be aware of. Similar to the fake IDs that come from online Chinese merchandisers, these shirts have a novelty purpose for many but the effect of their use can prove perilous.

Pennsylvania Voter ID Law Upheld

2012-08-22T13:53:16Z

By Andrew Guevara, AAMVA Government Affairs Coordinator

With a little more than two months until the November general elections, the battleground state of Pennsylvania has become an arena for the latest voter ID showdown. Last Wednesday, a federal judge upheld the state’s voter ID law requiring voters to show identification at polling places, which is set to go into effect Election Day of this year.

Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson ruled that he did not have sufficient evidence to prove that the law violated voter’s rights or disenfranchised certain groups of people. He also challenged the approximate number of voters who would need a new ID in order to comply with the law, placing the figure between one- and nine-percent of the voting population, and said there is still time for those without proper ID to acquire it. He stated in his seventy-page opinion that the law is “reasonable, non-discriminatory, non-severe burden when viewed in the broader context of the widespread use of photo ID in daily life.” He added in the ruling that the integrity of elections was vital to consider when deciding the burden of the law on voters.

Pennsylvania voters can start applying and receiving a new photo ID card issued specifically for citizens not eligible to receive a driver’s license or who did not have the proper documents for other state-issued IDs from PennDOT licensing facilities in late-August. Citizens only have to show two proofs of residence, such as a utility bill and social security number or date of birth, in order to obtain the new voter ID.

Read Judge Simpson’s opinion here.