A fast take a look at census information (greater than 11,000 individuals flip 65 every day within the U.S.), together with my very own tough calculations, recommend that a number of hundred persons are turning 70 every day within the nice state of California, and each 10 minutes or so, a number of of them electronic mail me about their license renewal adventures with the DMV.
I get the standard, all the time entertaining horror tales about testing: (“They put in ridiculous questions that don’t pertain to driving,” stated 75-year-old Dahana Klerer of Newport Seashore, who flunked twice and added, “I’m not a silly individual however they make you’re feeling actually silly.”)
And more and more, I get success tales:
“I had no drawback,” stated 79-year-old Ruth Gleason of Ridgecrest, who added: “Thanks and Steve Gordon on the DMV for working to alleviate the test-taking fears for over-70 CA drivers.”
In a half-century profession as a journalist, I by no means anticipated to share an accolade with a DMV director. However that is additional proof that life will be full of new adventures after you flip 70, considered one of which entails license renewal, which must be accomplished each 5 years after the massive 7-0.
In case you’re questioning why Klerer had such a troublesome time renewing her license whereas Gleason had a simple time of it, it’s as a result of Klerer took her renewal take a look at at a DMV workplace whereas Gleason opted for the distant, do-it-from-home eLearning course.
In case you’re arising on a renewal, repeat after me:
ELEARNING IS THE BEST OPTION!
To study extra about how to do this, go to the DMV.Ca.gov web site and click on on the driving force’s license and license renewal choices. In case you go for eLearning, by the best way, you’ll nonetheless need to then go to a DMV workplace for an eye fixed take a look at and photograph, however you’ll be forward of the sport when you’ve already accomplished the testing requirement at residence.
The eLearning choice is sort of a mini-driver’s ed course that takes about 30 or 40 minutes to finish, and one of the best half is that you would be able to’t flunk. The truth is, the web site calls it the “No-Fail on-line eLearning course.” You’ll be requested a collection of questions, and when you get one mistaken, you’ll be able to guess once more till you get it proper.
Steve Gordon, director of the DMV, recommends the eLearning course for drivers who want to check to resume their licenses. “Having the data is extra vital than the power to take a written take a look at,” he stated.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Instances)
Gordon, a former Silicon Valley tech exec, carried out the eLearning course as a result of he thinks it’s a greater academic software than the old style take a look at.
“Having the data is extra vital than the power to take a written take a look at,” he stated.
If that’s true, right here’s a thought:
Why not simply remove the standard so-called data take a look at and supply eLearning completely? Looks like it might save drivers quite a lot of pointless stress, and save the DMV the effort of administering the assessments.
The eLearning course suits Gordon’s mission to make it simpler to do DMV enterprise remotely quite than going to an workplace. And the company has simply introduced that eLearning is now obtainable in Spanish.
California drivers are catching on, with a rising variety of them utilizing the eLearning choice, which is on the market to drivers of all ages. In November, 19,000 individuals took the eLearning course, however in April the quantity had swelled to 47,500.
By the best way, Klerer gave up on the irritating in-person course of, opted for eLearning, and simply renewed ultimately. However she was completely proper in regards to the dumb questions on the standard take a look at.
Even the DMV admits it, and officers have informed me prior to now that among the dumber questions are being faraway from the testing rotation.
Readers have complained to me that it’s taking too lengthy, so I requested DMV spokesperson Anita Gore about that. A number of questions have now been axed, she stated, and “30 or so” extra are slated for elimination starting in July. Already gone, based on Gore, are the next head-scratching, who-cares questions:
“What’s one other title for the hand-to-hand steering technique?”
“What’s the minimal variety of years of imprisonment … for an individual … convicted of manslaughter ensuing from evading regulation enforcement throughout a pursuit?”
Questions slated for the DMV dumpster embrace:
“Which of the next is an applicable lower in pace when driving in packed snow?”
“To establish hazards, it is best to scan the street what number of seconds in entrance of your automobile?”
“When making a left flip from a two-way road onto an one-way road with three lanes, chances are you’ll flip into what lane?”
So, an enormous thanks to all of the readers who flagged foolish questions and helped get the DMV’s consideration.
In case you name the DMV customer support line and find yourself with a digital assistant named Miles … be affected person.
(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Instances)
However as soon as once more, when you go for eLearning, you don’t have to fret in regards to the dumb questions. (In case you’ve begun the license renewal course of in individual, it’s important to flunk two extra instances earlier than you’re eligible to start out over and go along with eLearning. This foolish rule is unnecessary, until the target is torture, and needs to be tossed. Additionally, it doesn’t appear truthful that when you flunk the standard take a look at 3 times and swap to eLearning, you’ve bought to pay one other $45 license renewal price. Golden State will proceed to observe the scenario).
A phrase of warning:
I hear from fairly a couple of readers who aced the renewal course of utilizing eLearning, which is on the market by pc, pill or cellphone, however I additionally hear from individuals who run into glitches or have hassle accessing the system.
Gore stated that might be a tech situation on the buyer’s finish, or it might be that — just like the final time I really useful eLearning — the system is overloaded. (Golden State, its companions and associates assume no duty for the state’s glitches, shortcomings and failures).
She stated anybody who has an issue can name DMV’s customer support line at (800) 777-0133, and right here’s one other phrase of warning:
I gave it a attempt, however it didn’t go effectively.
I wished to get a dwelling individual on the road however ended up with a “digital assistant” named Miles, who requested what I used to be calling about. I informed Miles I couldn’t entry eLearning (I used to be pretending, simply to see what would occur), and he provided details about accident reporting and automobile registration. On subsequent calls, Miles texted me hyperlinks to normal license renewal data.
At one level, I will need to have hit the mistaken immediate, as a result of Miles started talking in Spanish, or no less than making an attempt to. Even with my midway language abilities, I can guarantee you of this:
Miles has the worst accent in historical past.
You’d suppose that in California, of all locations, we’d have higher Spanish-speaking robots.
I did ultimately get to the place an automatic voice stated in English that as a consequence of name quantity, no person was obtainable, however an actual individual would ring me again in two hours. And I did get a callback.
If I sound obsessive about the trivia of license renewal for individuals 70 and older, it’s primarily as a public service, however I do have an ulterior motive.
The clock is ticking, and it received’t be lengthy earlier than yours actually is up for renewal.
Want me luck.
steve.lopez@latimes.com
