In March of 2020, due to COVID-19, the North Carolina DMV waived all road tests for drivers seeking Level 2 limited provisional licenses. Limited provisional licenses are the second step to receiving a full Class C license in North Carolina. Provisional licenses only allow people to drive family members or one friend between the hours of 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. Currently, DMV’s policy is that even though the road tests were waived, drivers would still have to take a test sometime six months later when they get their full Class C license.
This was an unwise decision by the DMV. The test makes sure people are ready to receive their licenses, and delaying some tests by six months will cause a large backup of people waiting to take the test. It would benefit everyone if the DMV would create a plan to start road tests again in order to minimize issues. The DMV made the decision to waive road tests because riding in a car with a stranger was deemed unsafe, because it could spread the virus.
It is well known that teens are not the best drivers, and according to the CDC, they get into more crashes than any other age group. The driving test helps drivers make sure they know everything they need in order to drive safely. Without the test, the only thing the DMV needs to give teens their license is a log confirming that the driver completed 60 supervised driving hours, which has existed long before COVID-19.
While I’m sure there are a lot of honest people who were given their license during this time, the log sheet is just a piece of paper and relies mostly on the honor system. The DMV has no way to know if the hours are correct, which is normally okay because the test acts as the second check to make sure no dangerous drivers end up on the roads.
Recently, the number of COVID-19 cases has spiked to new highs. There is no way to know what the situation regarding the virus will be like in any period of six months, so why does the DMV’s policy revolve around a test only six months later? In addition, it has already been 10 months since the policy first went into effect, and road tests are still not happening. Essentially, the six months rule has just become a placeholder for a time when it is safe to test again. When the DMV finally does decide that tests can continue, there will be a huge backup of people who need to take the test.
In sum, it is entirely possible that hundreds of teen drivers are out on the roads with little driving experience and know-how. The DMV should come up with a plan for how to start road tests safely, in order to decrease the backup and make sure teens that have been driving during this time are doing so safely.
Photo courtesy of cdharrison/Flickr
