HD5 - State Oversight of Commercial Driver-Training Schools in Virginia


Executive Summary:
House Joint Resolution 470, approved by the 1997 Session of the General Assembly, directed the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) to conduct a study of the effectiveness of State oversight of commercial driver-training schools, including the licensing and monitoring of these schools. This report contains the staff findings and recommendations regarding the issues related to oversight of commercial driver-training schools by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

This study found that, systemwide, most commercial driver-training schools comply with DMV's standards and train drivers as required. However, despite the increasing role of commercial schools in training and licensing young drivers, graduates of commercial driver-training schools were more likely to be involved in accidents than were graduates of public or private school driver education programs.

In terms of DMV's oversight, this review found that selected existing standards need to be strengthened. Further, additional standards should be developed to ensure that the instruction is uniform and consistent statewide, and that it meets the requirements of the Code of Virginia and the Curriculum Guide for Driver Education in Virginia.

This review also identified areas in DMV's oversight process for commercial driver-training schools that should be improved. Specifically, DMV should focus on increasing: the consistency of its reviews of student training documentation and course curriculum, the comprehensiveness of the audits of commercial school training vehicles, and the use of monitoring visits between annual audits. Finally, additional changes should be implemented, such as providing more training for DMV staff who conduct audits, in order to promote the provision of consistent and high quality instruction statewide.