Posted by:
Registrar Rachel Kaprielian, Registry of Motor Vehicles
The Governor’s transportation bill charges the RMV with exploring cutting–edge technology that offers the most equitable and sustainable way to distribute the costs of maintaining Commonwealth roads and bridges among our 4.5 million drivers.
One system often mentioned is the GPS technology piloted in Oregon. It would measure the miles a vehicle travels on a state’s highways. The chief concern of Oregon’s VMT (vehicle miles traveled) program is preventing any access or tracking of a driver’s whereabouts which, many believe, is tantamount to an invasion of privacy.
As the state-mandated warehouse for the most sensitive and personal information about our citizens, protecting privacy is also a top priority for the RMV as we move ahead on this exciting project.
Massachusetts enjoys the most secure driver’s license in America because of the smart technology the RMV has employed over the last several years. Encryption software which hashes our data for unauthorized users and the identity theft protections of the facial recognition program are helping the RMV build a moat around our database.
Any new technology implemented by the Commonwealth would go through a voluntary pilot program and would have to meet the RMV’s stringent protocols for protecting driver privacy as well as federal and state laws that govern the protection of personal information. There will be strict penalties for violating those laws.
As our research into the possibility of adapting VMT for our own use progresses we will keep you posted.
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