How to Uncover the True Value of Motor Vehicle Records

This year, there were 238.6 million drivers and a projected 40,350 fatal car crashes by the end of 2022 in the US. With that many people on the road and at risk of potential accidents, there are precautions organizations can perform when assessing associated driver risk and perhaps play a role in reducing these numbers.

Scenarios where driver history data could be valuable might be employees driving fleet vehicles, rental car management, or gig economy companies that have a need to assess driver risk. That’s where driver history data and motor vehicle records from a reputable provider can help with sound driver-risk analysis.

Why are Motor Vehicle Records Important?

Motor vehicle records (MVRs) give organizations insight into an individual’s driving performance through his or her history of traffic tickets, driving under the influence, accident reports, restrictions, vehicle-related crimes, and driver’s license information (which includes personal information). 

Driver history data (which are a type of motor vehicle record) can be insightful. According to The American Transportation Research Institute, there are specific driving behaviors that may indicate a likelihood of future crash involvement.

The findings above are from The American Transportation Research Institute.

How can MVRs enhance your risk assessment process?

Now that we understand the predictive potential of driver history data and the insights it can provide, let’s look at a few reasons it can enhance your risk assessment process.

• Assess driver risk: Protect your reputation, assets, employees, and other drivers on the road.
• Create a picture of an individual’s driving history: Collect the data to back up insights into current and past driving privileges.
• Uncover driving violations: Quickly find driving violations and assess their severity.
• Gain knowledge of past accidents in many states: Understand the severity of moving violations, especially in states providing details on whether an accident resulted in major damage or loss of life.

What to Expect when Searching MVRs

Depending on the jurisdiction and your permissible purpose, a motor vehicle records may include key elements, such as:

• Name and address
• Driver’s license type and status
• Driver history (prior licenses, convictions, suspensions, or withdrawal) 
• Accident history
• Medical certification
• Past restrictions
• Extra state details 

To break it down even further, there are moving and non-moving violations, along with the data associated with major and minor violations.

Moving Violations

Moving violations occur when there is a traffic law violation by a vehicle in motion. Examples include: 

• Speeding
• Running a stop sign or stoplight
• Driving under the influence (DUI)

Non-moving Violations

Non-moving violations, in contrast, are infractions that violate the law but do not directly correspond to driving the vehicle. Examples include:

• Parking violations
• Expired inspection
• Failure to wear a seat belt

Navigating the Intricacies of MVR Reports

Motor Vehicle Records are complex data sets that have dissimilar structures, varying in language, terminology, and information across jurisdictions. While collecting this information in a timely, cost-effective manner is already a daunting task, organizations also have the additional hurdles of analyzing and understanding state-level interpretations of different licenses and associated data.  

Having a better understanding of the level of risk associated with a driver’s license status can improve the time associated with interpreting results and thus provide confidence in your decision making. 

Having a service provider that can deliver these complex data sets, sometimes pulled from multiple states, is key to making fast, sound people-risk decisions. That means you can save time in having to standardize these data sets and can, instead, get straight to interpreting the data, saving you time and money.

Examining Driver Insight for Better Decision-Making 

Companies decide how to group driver statuses for their applicants and employees based on the organization’s own established driver history policy.

For example, these policies may use a system that consists of brackets, such as satisfactory, probationary, and unacceptable. The Society for Human Resource Management, which established these brackets, released the following example of a classification system:

• Satisfactory: If the driving record indicates no more than one moving violation in the past 12 months, then an individual is eligible to drive while conducting company business. 
• Probationary: If the record indicates more than one moving violation in the past 12 months but no more than two moving violations in the past 24 months, an individual is eligible to drive while conducting business;  the person’s MVR is checked on a regular basis during the probationary period. 
• Unacceptable: With more than two moving violations in the past 24 months, individuals may be considered ineligible for driving privileges. 

Benefits of Driver History Reports from Tessera Data™

With a single search, Tessera can provide you with organized results from each state you select, which allows you to assess driver-related risk quickly.

Result readability is vital for precision and cohesion in driver history analysis. Come to decisions faster and with more confidence by using data directly from the source.

Tessera’s technology offers access to driving records from all 50 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. Additionally, Tessera’s automated retrieval makes for faster turnaround times with easy-to-read reports and for a more efficient process. 

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