Click It or Ticket Campaign begins
The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles and local law enforcement are teaming up for the annual “Click It or Ticket” Campaign November 19-30.
So far this year, fatalities among drivers and passengers who were not wearing a seatbelt are down 12% from last year.
Of the fatalities, 73% were male and 20% in their 20s.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that wearing a seatbelt can reduce the chances of a fatal crash by 55%.
DMV Commissioner Gerald Lackey said, “The good news is that fewer people who weren’t wearing a seatbelt were killed in crashes so far this year, but we can’t become complacent.”
The DMV provided a few refreshers to help make sure you start your holiday journey safely.
Those include making sure any children are buckled securely and in the correct safety seat, making sure the seat belt clicks and is tight across your hips and chest, as well as keeping your seatbelt on the whole trip, every time.
No matter how close you are to home.
For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.
System outage limits DMV services
The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles will not offer Driver’s License services at customer service centers throughout the state today due to an external system outage.
Verizon is performing network maintenance which will effect the DMV’s ability to access the National Driver Register.
The DMV is required to check the federal NDR database before issuing a driver’s license, so all driver related transactions will be unavailable.
The DMV offices are still open for other services but will be unable to renew or replace a license, learners permit, CDL , or driver privilege card.
Online renewal services may be available during the outage but replacements of driver’s licenses will not be available.
For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.
VA schools, students, and police honored for Traffic Safety
Schools, students, and law enforcement from around Virginia will be honored today in Harrisonburg for the annual Youth of Virginia Speak Out About Traffic Safety.
The banquet will honor those who demonstrated exemplary efforts to encourage safe driving and passenger safety among teenagers.
15 categories will be awarded, with most of those going to student and school based groups.
A Lifetime Achievement Award and the Shining Star Award will also be awarded to community members.
YOVASO is a program of the Virginia State Police and funded by the Department of Motor Vehicles.
For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.
DMV grants longer license extensions
The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles is now allowing driver’s license extensions of up to six years for military, foreign service members, and government contractors working outside of Virginia.
The DMV also is lengthening the good cause extensions from one to two years.
Those extensions apply to things like taking care of sick family member’s in a different state..
In all cases, license holders must complete an application process and provide supporting documents.
Currently extended customers will need to apply for the new extensions using the same application process they used originally.
These changes stem from a bill introduced by Delegate Danica Roem of Prince William County.
Governor Glenn Youngkin signed the bill into law on July 1st.
For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.
DMV would like to use Virginians’ stories for safety video series
An email from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) announced that they are seeking stories from Virginians to improve highway safety.
DMV hopes to use the stories in a series of safety videos that will focus on the subjects of drunk driving prevention, seatbelt safety, speeding prevention and bring awareness to distracted driving.
It is hard to share such stories especially if you have lost someone in an accident involving any of those safety violations.
DMV hopes you can find the strength to share your story to bring awareness of unsafe habits behind the wheel to others.
If you would like to share such a story you can visit dmv.virginia.gov to find out more.
For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.
Minimum insurance coverage requirements are changing in VA.
In an email from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) it was announced that minimum insurance coverage requirements will increase Jan. 1.
A new senate bill increases the minimum insurance coverage requirements over the next three years.
There are a number of changes on the way over those three years.
The DMV advises that you contact your insurance provider to ensure that you are covered properly as far as the new laws are concerned.
For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.
City of Winchester is recognized by DMV
The City of Winchester has been recognized by the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
The city was recognized for recording Zero roadway deaths in 2019-2020.
Winchester was honored by DMV for demonstrating that buckling up, slowing down and not driving impaired make a difference.
DMV acknowledges that those actions help demonstrate that zero deaths on our roadways is possible.
For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.