Transportation Cabinet
GOVERNOR FLETCHER, TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS ANNOUNCE $456,000 GRANT FOR CDL IMPROVEMENTS Money will be used for technology upgrades and preventative measures in identity theft

FRANKFORT, KY (September 20, 2006)  –  Governor Ernie Fletcher and the Transportation Cabinet announced today that Kentucky has received a $456,000 grant from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for safety improvements.  The grant will carry out the provisions of the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act (MCSIA), improve efficiency in the handling of driver test scores and improve the state’s efforts to prevent identity theft and handling of personal information. 

“This funding is an important component of my directive to the Transportation Cabinet to examine every avenue in an effort to make Kentucky highways safer,” said Governor Fletcher. “This grant will also help protect against identity theft and fraud by adding new security measures throughout the entire process.”

The grant allows driver test scores to be directly linked to the drivers’ license computer system in those counties that have KSP automated testing units.  Auto testing kiosks were placed into 13 sites last year. The objective for this grant is to establish program logic to send the test score to the driver license system without human intervention. The downloading of the test scores will help prevent fraud in the driver testing environment and provide a more efficient means of handling test scores.

Additionally, the cabinet will provide shredders to circuit court clerk offices at selected high-volume issuing locations. The objective for this portion of the grant is to reduce the risk of identity theft and fraud occurring by destroying old driver licenses as soon as they are returned.

“Kentucky is recognized as having an excellent commercial drivers’ license program,” added Transportation Cabinet Secretary Bill Nighbert. “The grant will help us achieve compliance with the MCISA and improve highway safety.”

Under MCSIA, states are required to make substantial upgrades to the computer systems regarding commercial drivers. Kentucky will use $350,000 of the grant to make those technology upgrades. The goal of MCISA is to enhance the safety of commercial vehicle operations and to reduce the number and severity of truck crashes on our nation’s highways.

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