God help us all.

“We’re finding it’s easy for us to manage the process this way, we get more tests done, there’s less sort of down time for the examiners they know when somebody’s coming they know where to be and we know how long the tests take there are fewer surprises if you would....”

Oh, so it's easier for the bureaucrats, is it? You grind through more tests? Examiners don't have to wait around so much? Not too many surprises? JFC, what about public safety you f-ing moron?!?

4000lbs rockets with zero road tests

yeah because DEFINITELY M.F's just so, SO good at driving under the current licensing system

Not like it was helping many of you guys anyways.

They've officially given up. I guess we just need to up our defensive driving and get cameras for all sides of the car.

So I see we are using the same testing as US gun control now... Makes sense since a vehicle gets labeled as a deadly weapon in court... Makes sense we wouldn't want to test since we love our weapons! America!

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Tbf the older drivers that presumably took a real road test seem just as bad as the newer ones

Meh. When I took my “road test” (a while ago granted) it was literally circle a block with no traffic and parallel park against an empty curb in Arctic. Functionally this doesn’t really seem any different. Much more worried about people who apparently couldn’t be arsed to read the 15 page rules of the road and do shit like hail marying through intersections when traffic lights are out.

That explains a lot.

DMV has impressively latched onto COVID protocols and is taking them to an extreme other state agencies can only dream of. Still reservations only and now no road tests.

I notice they haven't abandoned the VIN Check shakedown, though. Maybe they can have us do it ourselves--use some non-encrypted website hosted by a politically connected vendor to search for our VIN, and when it doesn't come up (it won't, there are no cars in the database) we just pay a flat fee split among the police departments.

Hey DMV. I'm consulting over here.

There’s a road test here? I thought they just checked if you know how to turn the car on.

For a minute I hoped this meant they would replace the "traditional" road test with one that actually, you know, tested worth shit.

let's just get some driving simulators in place of actual tests and then have people re-test at regular intervals.

for as much as new, younger drivers suck, it's generally not a 16-18 year old kid that I find myself losing my shit at regularly.

yeah, teenage drivers can suck but they're really not the problem with the behaviors that people gripe about most. they're at least fresh off learning the rules of the road and haven't learned what they can get away with yet

The only thing I have a problem with is that I remember back in high school there was a handful of kids who failed their driving test multiple times, one so often that they didn’t end up getting their license until like 20.

Those kids could probably pass a parking lot test. Terrifying thought.

The closed course is too simple compared to actual driving. Having said that, my road test back in the day was a joke. I literally drove around the block in West Warwick and then parked. I'm ashamed to admit I never bothered to learn parallel parking until I helped my kid prep for the closed course. IMO a combo of the two would be best. Show us you can maneuver in the tight closed course and you have a good spatial sense for the vehicle, then get on the road and show us you can move in traffic at speed.

The reservation system has been a huge improvement in my experience. Yes you will have to wait a few weeks but when you do get in, it's quick. I had to use the DMV twice during Covid protocols and it was much better than sitting on the wooden bench for 3 hours.

I found this article from last fall that said about 16% of people still failed their parking lot test in 2021 vs 20% in 2019 when they did regular tests. That's clearly a difference, but I think they still weed out plenty of people who aren't ready.

I'd be curious how that shapes out over a larger sample size of maybe +/- five years.

In the meantime, just enjoy telling anyone who's under a certain age that their license doesn't count.

Continuing a downward spiral in the Driving skills of RI'ers

>intersections when traffic lights are out.

You have immunity then as long as you go as fast as possible

The DMV has long covid

(don't forget the vanity plate fiasco)

Hey I gotta take back what I had said, at least partially. Last year I needed an appointment for a registration--couldn't find one. Had to try to game it like getting a COVID vaccine when they were first out.

Went now to see and there are tons available, though not necessarily where I want to go. State is small at least.

We're already ranked the worst drivers in the country, on the worst roads in the country, so....let's say screw it. Now everyone drives while staring at their phones, and pedestrians cross the street...staring at their phones...smh

...in a high speed chase with the law The realest motherfucker that you ever saw I'm livin' raw 'til they bury me, don't worry me I'm high livin' like I ain't afraid to die And you could walk a mile in my shoes And you'd be crazy too, with nothing to lose

+1 on this! i just came to say this! all we literally had to do was drive around the back of artic and park. i was never tested on parallel parking either -i dont get the outrage on the driving course 😂