Around the Regions - January 11, 2010

"Around the Regions" is a special Web supplement to AAMVA's weekly e-newsletter, The Week in Review, that features news collected from AAMVA's four regions.
January 11, 2010  This Week's News from:
Region I Region II Region III Region IV Other Items of Interest

Region I 

• New Brunswick Mulls a Ban on Hand-Held Cell Phones While Driving
• Obesity or "Fat Defense" Overturns DWI Conviction (New Hampshire)
• Decals Coming for Teen Drivers, Price Remains Undetermined (New Jersey)
• Central Jersey Counties Develop Differing Policies on Identification Cards (New Jersey)
• County Clerk ID Card Discontinued; Union County Offers Free Passport Photos (New York)
• Man Arrested for Drunk Snowblowing (Ontario)
• 24 People Charged in Cross-State Insurance Fraud Case (Pennsylvania)
• Drivers Who Get Tickets in Pennsylvania Pay Much More than Fines
• Rhode Island DMV Systems Modernization Request For Information Now Advertised

Region II 

• Bill Aimed at Teen Drivers Gets 5th Try in Session (Alabama)
• Double Whammy at the DMV (Florida)
• The Move to Real ID (Florida)
• Real ID Needed to Renew Florida Driver's Licenses
• Highway Fatalities Continue to Decline in Florida
• Should Drivers be Taxed by the Mile? Highway Fund Crunch has Texas Ordering a Study of That Question
• Virginia Road Deaths Reach a New Low

Region III 

• BMV Staff Play Key Role in Breaking Auto Theft Ring (Indiana)
• Identity Theft Suspects Apprehended (Indiana)
• Law Would Address Fetal Deaths in DWI Crashes (Indiana)
• Troopers Support Budget Proposal (Iowa)
• Economy a Factor in Low Traffic Deaths in 2009 (Iowa)
• Colonel James F. Keathley Announces His Retirement (Missouri)
• Gas-Tax Hike Likely for Road Funds (Nebraska)
• 149 Impaired Drivers Arrested During “You Drink & Drive You Lose” Enforcement (Nebraska)
• New Sex Offender Registry Law in Effect (Nebraska)
• Wisconsin Cracks Down on Commercial Drivers Who Break the Law
• State Ends 2009 with Lowest Number of Traffic Deaths Since 1944 (Wisconsin)
• Starting in January All DMV Customer Service Centers Have New Hours (Wisconsin)
• Frozen Road Law Goes into Effect January 6 in Central & SW Wisconsin
• Driver Behind Wheel for Seat-Belt Campaign; Packers' Receiver will Promote Safety (Wisconsin)

Region IV 

• Winter Olympics will Highlight New U.S. Border Requirements
• DMV Worker to Appear on Rose Bowl Parade Float (California)
• Holiday Drunk Driving Arrests Up This Year (California)
• California Faces More Budget Pain, Cuts in 2010
• Court Rules Against Schwarzenegger Furlough Orders (California)
• The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will be closed on Fridays Jan. 8, 15 and 22, 2010, in keeping with the Governor’s Executive Order S-13-09. All Offices will be open on Friday, Jan. 29.
• California DMV Poised to Launch Collaboration with Counties
• Social Networking Use Increases, But Has Yet to Transform Government (California)
• Environmental License Plates Stuck in Neutral; Bad Economy and Small Logos Suspected (California)
• License Suspension Upheld (California)
• Judge Orders Schwarzenegger to Halt State Worker Furloughs (California)
• Schwarzenegger to Seek Permanent Pay Cuts to Replace Worker Furloughs (California)
• California Initiative Seeks Higher Vehicle Fee to Help Fund Parks
• Advance Secure Issuance Licenses and ID Cards Debut in Carson City Monday (Nevada)
• DMV Starts Issuing Real ID Drivers' Licenses (Nevada)
• Drugs Cause a Surge in DUII Deaths in Oregon
• Motorists Hang Up and Drive (Oregon)
• Groups Advocate Change in Gas Tax Focus (Utah)
• WSP Reports ZERO alcohol related traffic fatalities over New Year’s Weekend (Washington)
• 96.4 Percent of State Drivers Buckle up for Safety (Washington)
• DOL Launches Self-Service Option for Driver Records (Washington)
• State's Traffic Crash Deaths at 11-Year Low (Wyoming)
  DUI Law Results in More Ignition Devices (Wyoming)
• Transportation Director: State Needs Primary Seat Belt Law (Wyoming)
• The Yukon Department of Community Services has released an RFP for a new driver's license. The RFP can be found at http://www.gov.yk.ca/tenders/public/index.html. The closing date is Tuesday February 23rd.

Other Items of Interest 

• Bills to Curb Distracted Driving Gain Momentum
• TSA Delays Enforcing REAL ID Act Until 2011
• Sovereign: Obama's New Year's Gift to American States...National ID Cards...
• Car Wrecks Leading Cause of Death for Officers
• Are Canadians Changing Their Drinking and Driving Habits: Poll
• Three More States Enact Texting-While-Driving Bans (Oregon, Illinois, New Hampshire)
• Swiss Court Fines Speeding Millionaire $290,000
• Despite Risks, Internet Creeps Onto Car Dashboards
• New Technology in Windshields from General Motors to Aid Aging Drivers
• EPA Pushes Smog Limits; New Standards Could Cost Violators Billions
• Check out the rather alarming ABC story/video on Aged Tires; A Driving Hazard
• Updated FDR Level I e-Learning is now available! - After an overwhelmingly positive reception of the March 2009 release of FDR Level I e-Learning, AAMVA has been hard at work to meet its commitment to continually improve and update the material in order to best meet your training needs. The Updated Level I courseware is now available for jurisdiction implementations and incorporates numerous changes including technical clarifications, improved graphics and detailed examinations of newly-released documents! Please visit the AAMVA website and follow the Fraudulent Document Recognition path to review program details, examine the change documentation and access the jurisdiction download page.