Teen drivers, DUIs and expired licenses: Motorist bills could stretch state's beleaguered DMV

A slew of North Carolina bills related to road safety and the state’s Division of Motor Vehicles are illuminating the tricky situation state lawmakers find themselves in as they seek to improve safety for drivers while also trying to reduce the workload of the agency in charge of that goal.

It all comes as the state is conducting an intensive audit into issues at the DMV, and how to improve service at the agency that many lawmakers say is understaffed and responsible for more complaints than any other part of state government.

A group of lawmakers filed a bill Tuesday to let people keep driving on an expired license for up to two years, with a stated goal of cutting down on lines at the DMV. The agency has seen offices around the state plagued by long lines and hard-to-find appointments, and it has reacted with extended hours and other tactics.

On Wednesday, the House Transportation Committee signed off on two bills that will add to DMV’s workload, requiring it to create new forms and classes — one aimed at crash responses; the other aimed at reducing drunk driving — and to do all the background work required to compile the extra data and ensure compliance with new rules.

But in the same committee, lawmakers also tried pushing another bill aimed at cutting down demand for appointments at the DMV by making it easier for teen drivers to transition from a learner’s permit to a regular license. That proposal was met with strong opposition from those with safety concerns.

The committee ultimately decided not to hold a vote on the proposal.

DUIs, expired licenses, teen drivers

License expiration: House Bill 821 would allow people to keep driving with an expired license for up to two years. It would apply to most drivers but has some exceptions. “There is a backlog of drivers unable to renew their driver’s licenses in person,” the bill states. “It is the intent of this act to eliminate that backlog.”

Efforts to stop DUIs: House Bill 217 would require adults who are seeking a driver’s license for the first time to first take a class on drug and alcohol abuse, distracted driving, aggressive driving and other safety concerns. The class would likely be offered online or at a local driving school, not the DMV itself, but the DMV would be in charge of creating the class and ensuring compliance. “I spoke with a group of mothers who have lost some children due to drunk driving,” Rep. Jarrod Lowery, R-Robeson, said. “And looking around at some other states, Maryland and Virginia also require this.”

Emergency contacts: House Bill 218 would require the DMV to ask people if they want to leave an emergency contact when they get or renew their driver’s license. Rep. Carson Smith, R-Pender, is a former sheriff and said the change would help emergency personnel reach family members of crash victims.

Teen driver changes: House Bill 584 would eliminate a requirement that people under 18 seeking a license have to get a letter from their school vouching for them, an attempt to stop teens from dropping out of school. It would also eliminate other requirements for teens to go from a learner’s permit to a regular license, including additional DMV appointments and a 90-day waiting period.

Rep. David Willis, R-Union, said the effort to stop school dropouts doesn’t appear to have worked, and that the other requirements only add to the volume of people seeking DMV appointments. “If you’ve been to the DMV recently, or tried to get an appointment in the DMV, or you got a kid go through drivers training or driver's education, you realize how painful this process has become,” Willis said.

It faced opposition from those concerned with the safety implications of making it easier for 16-year-olds to get on the road with less supervision or experience than is currently required.

Rep. Zack Hawkins, D-Durham, said he can’t vote for a bill that would make it more likely for young people to die or be seriously hurt.

“The worst thing in the world is for an investigator or a police officer to knock on your door to say that something has happened to your child,” he said. “And that's something that we can prevent.”

Other lawmakers, however, said it should never have been the state’s responsibility to say whether or not a 16-year-old is ready to start driving.

“I controlled my children until they were capable of going on their own,” said Rep. Mark Pless, R-Haywood. “And I see no reason why a person in the state of North Carolina that has a child can't take their responsibility and actually keep them from driving by themselves until they're capable of doing it.”