Wave Goodbye to DMV Lines

If the existence of countless online survival guides is any indication, there are few tasks more dreaded than a visit to the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Fortunately, in an attempt to modernize (and repair its reputation in the process), a handful of states are revamping the DMV for the better — by offering digital services to drivers.
“People want to access government the same way they access Amazon,” says Mary Lou Prevost, vice president of state and local government and education at CA Technologies, a software company with clients in government and financial industries. “There’s a huge push to move from in line to online.”
West Virginia is speeding driver’s license and vehicle registration renewal by installing three self-serve kiosks across the state, with more planned. According to the state’s DMV, citizens can complete the transaction to renew their license in just a few minutes (the actual ID will arrive via mail); a kiosk prints registration decals and cards on-demand.
In Irvine, Calif., a city about 50 miles south of Los Angeles, the state’s first DMV kiosk was installed at the local University of California in April this year. Since then, the department has added more booths in grocery stores in two other cities, Lancaster and Palmdale.
(The state’s forward progress stalled, however, with Gov. Jerry Brown vetoing a bill that would allow drivers to store an electronic license on their phone.)  
MORE: Go Inside the Mission That’s Bringing the Federal Government Into the Digital Age
For the past year, Iowa has been piloting an electronic driver’s license and is expected to roll out a digital ID sometime next year, according to the Des Moines Register. State-sponsored apps that issue electronic driver’s licenses have been proposed in Delaware, New Jersey and Arizona.
But there’s more to bringing the DMV online than just providing a seamless service to drivers. Throughout the U.S., departments are slowed down by outdated software and computer systems in desperate need of an upgrade.
“We think about it as just our driver’s license, but you’ve got to think about vehicle registration, truck registration and health information. It’s a wealth of data they’re dealing with,” Prevost tells NationSwell.
Plus, switching to digital solutions can be problematic, as was the case in Connecticut, where wait times extended to seven hours during a software rollout. While the transition may be painful, says Prevost, “The net result of modernizing will be far better citizen engagement and a far better view of the government.”
Homepage photo courtesy of the California Department of Motor Vehicles.

A Better Way to Register New Voters, A Talking Cure for Homicide and More

 

Here’s What Happened When Oregon Automatically Registered Its New Voters, Washington Post

When you apply for a drivers license in Oregon, you’re now automatically registered to vote. State officials say the DMV program — the nation’s first opt-out law — is the simplest way to bolster voter rolls and keep addresses up-to-date — important in a state that votes by mail. So far, in the first week, four times as many new voters signed up as the Beaver State used to register in a month. It remains to be seen whether they actually cast a ballot.

This Police Department Stops Disputes Before They Turn Deadly, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

It’s a rule of thumb for criminologists that crime spikes in the summer: not only are more people outside, but heated arguments also sometimes lead to violence. In Rochester, N.Y., beat cops now track tiffs across the city and send a summary of the dispute to a central database, where analysts can predict which are most likely to escalate. While this predictive policing may sound like a real-life “Minority Report,” law enforcement’s seven-month-old strategy appears promising and is being looked at by other departments nationally, including Milwaukee.

After Rehab, This Valuable App Keeps Drinkers and Drug Abusers Sober, New York Times

A former addict walks out of rehab and is suddenly bombarded by temptations: old drinking buddies, familiar haunts, relief from stress and anxiety. A mobile app, A-Chess, checks in throughout the day to help alcoholics avoid the bottle. It’s pre-loaded with high-risk locations like bars and liquor stores the person frequented. When nearby, the app automatically sends a message, “Are you sure you want to be here?” and alerts other contacts the patient has pre-programmed, like his sponsor or a family member. Along with virtual counseling and other smartphone apps, these modern tools are helping with the hardest part of getting clean: staying that way.

Going to the DMV Just Got a Whole Lot Better

Rather than waste a day waiting in line, a person in Michigan, Texas, Massachusetts and a growing number of other states can check in at the Department of Motor Vehicles remotely via computer or cell phone or through an in-office kiosk. The app, which was created by Pasadena, Calif., tech firm QLess, will estimate the time until your number is called and send you a message when you’re up next. Running late? Send a quick text and you’ll be moved back in the queue.
“We believe time matters, and we’re on a mission to eliminate waiting lines worldwide,” says Alex Bäcker, QLess founder and CEO. “Our technology has liberated more than 20 million people from waits long and short, collectively giving humankind more than 500 years back, while simultaneously giving control back to an organization.”
Already a success for retail stores, healthcare facilities, college campuses and polling places, implementing QLess at DMVs was a logical next step. QLess reports a 75 percent reduction in people who walk away because lines look too long. For probably the first time ever, DMV customers are saying visits are actually “pleasant.”
“My wait was so short that I only lost two of my five lives on Candy Crush,” Darren Little notes of his review of Michigan’s program in The Detroit News. “We shouldn’t expect government to develop the latest and greatest technology,” he adds, “but we should expect them to utilize existing technology to make government work better.”
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