Massachusetts State Auditor Joe DeNucci, after examining the Registry of Motor Vehicles RMV), has alarming news about the people on the road in the Bay State. Serious delays in the processing of criminal traffic violations have allowed drivers – between 7,500 and 9,000 of them - to remain on the road, often for two-to-four years after their licenses should have been revoked or suspended.

DeNucci's report blames this grim picture on delays in processing citations and on delays in the court submitting dispositions to the RMV. Adjudications are supposed to be forwarded from the court to the RMV and in turn to the Merit Rating Board for database entry. The audit discovered there is no system in place to ensure that these adjudications are received and processed quickl and that timeliness must be monitored more closely.

When presenting his findings, DeNucci said, "The registry is the primary agency responsible for the administration and enforcement of our motor vehicle laws, so it has a responsibility to ensure that the public is protected by suspending or revoking the licenses of unsafe drivers as soon as possible following a court disposition."

The RMV's response to the audit was to express frustration with delays in getting information from the courts, and to affirm that they would work with the court system to improve the situation.