Connecticut DVM starts 2013 DMV teen safe driving video contes

WETHERSFIELD – The state Department of Motor Vehicles has launched its 2013 DMV teen safe driving video contest and wants to know: Are You In?
That question, in fact, is crux of the contest’s theme, which was designed by students, including some from Greater New Haven, according to statement from the DMV.
The DMV and corporate prize sponsor Travelers Companies launched the contest Wednesday, the statement said sent by DMV spokesman Bill Seymour said.
Students working on the project are Juhi Gupta, a Rocky Hill senior from Mercy High School in Middletown; Michael Brainerd of East Haven; Luke Edwards of Madison; Daniyal N. Khan of Berlin; and Patrick Kudej of Norwich. The students also are members of DMV’s Commissioner’s Advisory Committee on Teen Safe Driving, the statement said.
“Keeping Connecticut’s roads safe is everyone’s responsibility,” Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said, also in the statement. “Teaching our youngest drivers how to be safe behind the wheel saves lives. Stronger laws and innovative programs are one part of the solution, but raising awareness among teen drivers and their parents is the key to road safety. I applaud these young people for their commitment to get the word out to their peers.”
The statement also noted that a recent “parent survey as well as analysis of DMV teen driving laws show that the laws are helping to reduce teen crashes, injuries and deaths, but that public outreach like the contest is needed to help all parents and teens better understand the laws.”
The contest awards $15,000 in cash prizes to the high schools of winning students, the statement said.
“The five students volunteered to help make the contest, which has run annually since 2009, more appealing to teens across the state. They said a simple-to-understand theme that engages influential people, such as parents, friends or other teens, is at the heart of a convincing safety message,” the statement said. “The 25-second videos also must illustrate two or more of the state’s teen driving laws, too.”
The submission deadline is Jan. 23. The contest is open to all high-school age students. Information and rules can be found at www.ct.gov/teendriving/contest.
The teens plan to help increase the number of entries and participants from the 105 submissions in 2012,  to reach out to student councils, parent-teacher organizations and school officials through e-mails and to use social media to help promote the contest to other teens, the statement said.

. They have setup: 
•    Twitter: twitter.com/areyouin2013
•    YouTube: youtube.com/areyouin2013
•    Facebook: facebook.com/2013AreYouIn

Motor vehicle fees go up Friday; several laws changing

A press release from the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles:

WETHERSFIELD – A number of Department of Motor Vehicles fees will increase and various laws will change beginning Friday as part of legislative action during the recent session of the General Assembly.

Changes in fees and laws cover a wide variety of services and responsibilities that DMV provides to the public.

“These fee increases are modest and are part of the shared sacrifice needed to help resolve the state’s budget issues,” said DMV Commissioner Melody A. Currey. She added that the changes in laws are part of the continuing effort to streamline DMV services and make them more efficient.

“We are addressing a number of issues beginning July 1 and we want to keep the public aware of those changes,” she said.

In addition, those with late or current registration renewals beginning July 1 will be unable to renew at a branch office. DMV will enforce an existing policy requiring all renewals to be mailed. Although some exceptions were made in the past, the change is related to streamlining service. Customers bringing a registration renewal will be given a pre-addressed envelope for mailing the registration to DMV’s processing unit.

While increased fees are spread among a number of areas, the following changes affect some of the more frequently used services:

• Obtaining a drivers’ license: from $66 to $72 for the customary six-year license.
• A new late fee for failing to renew the driver’s license or commercial driver’s license, $25.
• Obtaining a Commercial Driver’s License (must already have Connecticut driver’s license): increase in surcharge from $15 to 17.50 per year.
• Two-year registration of a passenger vehicle, including those with vanity plates, from $75 to $80.
• The fee for obtaining a vanity plate, from $65 to $69.
• Two-year registration of a motorcycle, from $40 to $42.
• Temporary registration of a non-commercial motor vehicle: $20 to $21 for a 10-day period.
• Transfer of registration from $20 to $21.

The full list of DMV’s new fees as well as information about the hours of the DMV photo license centers and other facilities can be found at ct.gov/dmv. Customers can also call the DMV telephone center at 860-263-5700 in the Greater Hartford area and 800-842-8222 for the remainder of the state.

Some of the law changes July 1 include:

• Shifting responsibility for the state’s six weigh stations solely to the DMV. At present DMV’s Commercial Vehicle Safety Division is responsible only for the station in Union.
• Amending state law to add that any person under the age of 21 who is convicted for possession of less than 0.5 ounce of cannabis will have a license suspension for 60 days. Persons under 21 who are not licensed and who are convicted of possession will be unable to obtain a license for 150 days.
• Increasing the fine to $1,000 for a resident who operates a vehicle with marker plates issued by another state.
• Changing the name of the handicapped driver training program to “driver training program for persons with disabilities,” and transferring the responsibility for the program to the Bureau of Rehabilitation Services.
• Authorizing towns to issue temporary registrations when persons pay property tax or parking tickets in full. Fees for the temporary registration would go to the town. At present DMV is exploring a pilot program to test this approach.
• Adding email addresses to the privacy protection under Section 14-10 by defining them as “personal information.”
• Permitting video-monitoring equipment installed on a school bus by a municipality or its vendor and that captures an image of a vehicle passing a school bus with flashing red signals to be used to write a violation. For a first violation, which brings a $450 fine, the fine is divided into: $54 for the state transportation fund, $36 for the state general fund and $360 for municipality.
• Expanding authority of AAA to renew licenses and IDs and issue duplicates.
• Allowing regular license renewals, commercial driver license renewals, vehicle registration renewals, vessel registration renewals and automobile dealer license renewals to be sent other than by mail.
• Allowing the DMV to stop mailing to an address at which mail is undeliverable.
• Adding texting while operating a commercial motor vehicle to the definition of “serious traffic violation" for enforcement of commercial driver license penalties.
• Requiring knowledge testing for motorcycle endorsement when a training permit has not been issued.
• Allowing dealers to register commercial motor vehicles, trailers service and school buses electronically.
• Creating misdemeanor (“B” ) for operating a driving school without a license and creating misdemeanor (“B” ) for acting as a driving school instructor without a license.
• Changing the requirement from 10 days to 48 hours after reviewing a report containing the names of suspended/revoked operators that a school bus carrier has to remove such an employee from driving duties.

Connecticut DMV announces holiday hours

All Department of Motor Vehicles offices will close to the public at 3 p.m.  Dec. 23,  and will not re-open until 8 a.m. Dec. 28, according to a statement.
"The closing combines both the holiday observance of Christmas, the unpaid furlough time required of all state employees and the regular weekend shutdown of DMV offices," the statement said.

"DMV is advising customers early so that they can plan any necessary visits around this closing time. With DMV having staggered operating times, these holiday closings and state-required unpaid furlough create a string of consecutive days that the agency does not operate," the statement said.

While the offices will not be open for transactions, the web site and the automated phone system will be available to obtain information, the statement said.

Information about regular hours of specific DMV offices can be found on the agency website: ct.gov/dmv or through the DMV telephone center at 860-263-5700 in the Greater Hartford area, and 800-842-8222 for the remainder of the state the statement said.

Editor's note: Information in this post was provided wholly by the Connecticut DMV. It is shared here as a public service.
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