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Q: Why doesn't an accident in IAshow up on a NM MVD report? & Job Applications. ( Answered 5 out of 5 stars,   0 Comments )
Question  
Subject: Why doesn't an accident in IAshow up on a NM MVD report? & Job Applications.
Category: Miscellaneous
Asked by: dan_from_nm-ga
List Price: $60.00
Posted: 08 Jun 2006 13:02 PDT
Expires: 08 Jul 2006 13:02 PDT
Question ID: 736487
I am a NM resident with a NM Driver?s license (had since 1997 or so). 
I was in Iowa for school and had an accident in Iowa in April of 2005
[rolled my ?96 Toyota Corolla, no one else hurt, didn?t receive a
ticket (to my knowledge), there was an police report written (I have a
pdf copy), the rollover was my fault, car was totaled, I went to
hospital but was ok, there was a claim filed with State Farm Auto
insurance company].  I checked my NM driving record in May 2006 and
there is no mention of it.  I called IA today and they said they could
not find a MVD record for me.

I'm currently doing job applications and some ask for "Clean Driving
Record" etc.  Other that rolling my car once... I've never had a
ticket or accident.  The employment applications I'm talking about
involve driving.

Question: How do I view this accident?  i.e. do I have a "Clean
Driving Record"? (or, more to the point, how can I tell?)

Possible Sub-Questions:
1) Does it count as an accident for insurance or driving record purposes?
2) Why doesn't it show up on my MVD report?
3) Where it would be recorded (besides police report)?
4) Any other information I need to know so I can explain the situation
to potential employers who ask "Have you ever been in an accident?" or
"Requires clean driving record"

*****
I mainly want to know how to view this accident so I don?t needlessly
disqualify myself nor misrepresent myself on employment applications,
insurance applications, or driver?s license applications.

Eventually, I need to be able to accurately explain the situation to
potential employers who ask "Have you ever been in an accident?" or
"Requires clean driving record".

*****


Sincerely,
- NM resident


P.S. I'm also studying to get a CDL and when I explained the situation
to the instructor, he mentioned something about getting a national DMV
report.  Maybe that will help you in your research.  (He wasn't
concerned with the issue for CDL purposes because it would only be 1
accident and is over a year ago.)
Note, however, that from my research I don?t think that a class D
license rollover would be reported to the national database.  Iowa
seemed to agree when I talked to them.

Clarification of Question by dan_from_nm-ga on 08 Jun 2006 13:22 PDT
Please let me know if you need any more info...
Answer  
Subject: Re: Why doesn't an accident in IAshow up on a NM MVD report? & Job Applications.
Answered By: tutuzdad-ga on 08 Jun 2006 14:09 PDT
Rated:5 out of 5 stars
 
Dear dan_from_nm-ga;

Thank you for allowing me to answer your interesting question. I have
spent some 20 plus years in law enforcement and I happen to have some
insight into these types of issues. First, let me say that not all
accidents make it to one?s DMV record. Why? Well there are a variety
of reasons not the least of which is human error, oversight,
misplacement, or just plain laziness. Luckily for you, one or more of
these issues seems to have worked in your favor.

>>> How do I view this accident?  i.e. do I have a "Clean Driving
Record"? (or, more to the point, how can I tell?)

For employment purposes if an application asks if you have a ?clean
driving record? the answer is ?yes?, You have, in good faith checked
the most reliable sources to determine the status and history of your
record and you have determined to the best of your ability that your
record is free of adverse notations. In the end you are assured from
the authorities that your record is clean so you may, in all honesty,
answer the question truthfully: You have no adverse driving record.

>>> Does it count as an accident for insurance or driving record purposes?

If there is no accident on your driving record there is no record of
an accident for insurance purposes. Insurance companies rely on the
same printout that is used by law enforcement agencies so if the law
enforcement agency didn?t submit it to the state then there is no
notation to see.

>>> Why doesn't it show up on my MVD report?

Who knows? Law enforcement agencies typically forward a copy of
accident reports to the state agencies. The accident is then recorded
in the state database, Criminal Justice Information Network (CJIN).
From there the reported would have been forwarded to New Mexico?s
NCIC/NMIC and the National Crime Information Center network (NCIC).
From here the National Insurance Crime Bureau, the NTSB, the state DMV
and others can retrieve the data on a records check.

So, as you can see, your data changes hands many times and
occasionally some records just don?t get entered for whatever reason.
I personally know of this happening on more than one occasion ? in
fact it happened to ME one time. Guess where? Coincidentally it
happened right there in good old New Mexico, but it happens in all
states, probably more frequently than the authorities would care to
admit. When this oversight happens, most people consider this a bonus
? I know I did. Do I have a clean record? You bet, because it was
never officially reported back to my state DMV.

>>> Where it would be recorded (besides police report)?

If an insurance company was involved more than likely this is the most
feasible place to look for information. However the insurance company
is probably have the same type of information (if not identical
information) that the law enforcement agency that investigated the
accident has, and little more. Beyond that, there probably isn?t any
other record if none exists on your official DMV record. If there were
it might also be recorded with the Iowa Department of Transportation.
You can contact them and see but I suspect if will not be there. It
might be worth a try though if you are determined to stir up interes
in your driving record:
For limited information regarding an accident, such as date, time,
specific location, and immediate facts and circumstances, contact:

Iowa Department of Transportation
Office of Driver Services
100 Euclid Avenue, P.O. Box 9204
Des Moines, Iowa 50306-9204
E-Mail:  ods@dot.iowa.gov
http://www.dot.state.ia.us/mvd/ods/accidents.htm

>>> Any other information I need to know so I can explain the
situation to potential employers who ask "Have you ever been in an
accident?" or "Requires clean driving record".

Honestly, there?s nothing to explain. Consider yourself lucky. By
revealing only what you can officially produce ? which in this case is
virtually nothing ? you can only attest to what the official record
states: you have a clean record. Sure...you had an accident and the
police came and investigated it and reported it. The question however
is: "Do you have a clean driving RECORD"? Clearly the answer is yes.
DMV has already confirmed that for you by failing to find any
derogatory information. If every unofficial error were held against is
we?d all be penalized every time we exceeded the speed limit and we?re
all guilty of breaking the law and defiling our otherwise clean record
whether it gets reported or not. See what I mean? Most employers don?t
want to know everything you?ve ever done in your life ? they merely
want to know, for insurance purposes, if you are insurable for
liability reasons.

If you really WANT this accident on your record you should go to the
police department and ask them to dig up your accident report and make
sure they send it to the state so you will have it on your record and
be properly penalized for it (I don?t seriously recommend doing that).
Otherwise count your blessings and let it go. If the DMV say you?re
clean, by official state standards and for liability purposes, you ARE
clean?and that IS the truth, no matter what might have (unofficially,
as it now turns out) happened in the past.


I hope you find that my answer exceeds your expectations. If you have
any questions about my research please post a clarification request
prior to rating the answer. Otherwise I welcome your rating and your
final comments and I look forward to working with you again in the
near future. Thank you for bringing your question to us.

Best regards;
Tutuzdad-ga ? Google Answers Researcher



INFORMATION SOURCES

Defined above


SEARCH STRATEGY


SEARCH ENGINE USED:

Google ://www.google.com


SEARCH TERMS USED:

IOWA

DRIVING 

RECORD

DMV

ACCIDENT

DATABASE

Request for Answer Clarification by dan_from_nm-ga on 15 Jun 2006 10:06 PDT
Your answer is really good and ads some insight... and I apologize for
not requesting clarification sooner, but I was unsure about asking a
follow-up question and want to think about it before bothering you.

Clarification Question:  To your knowledge, if there was no ticket
issued, does that mean I was not at fault, and (if I'm not at fault)
therefore it wouldn't appear on my record?  "Don't know" is an alright
answer if you're not sure.

Let me know soon so I can close the question.  Thanks so much you've
exceeded my expectations.


FYI (not part of follow-up question): I did some more research and
found out that I am not obligated in Iowa to report the accident
because it was reported by a police officer (prior to 2002 that was
not the case if damage over $1000 or something like that).  So I'm
clear there.  I'm not sure about NM law about reporting.  I'll be
looking into that next.

Clarification of Answer by tutuzdad-ga on 15 Jun 2006 10:34 PDT
As a general rule, a citation reserves a place in court for the judge
to hear the fact surrounding a case. It names the party determined by
the investigator to be at fault, or in some instances, partly at
fault. If you did not recieve a citation it can be assumed that you
were not, in the opinion of the investigating officer, at fault in the
accident. Accident reports are public information. You may obtain a
copy of the report from the investigating agency (if they even have
one) without raising any alarms. Simply call them and request one.
Most agencies require a nominal charge for such copies so be prepared
to pay that. The details of the report will confirm or refute the
notion that you were at at fault. If they don't have a report then
this will certainly explain why no such was ever recorded on your
record. If they say they don't have one on file, do press the issue.
Let it go.

Regards;
tutuzdad-ga

Clarification of Answer by tutuzdad-ga on 15 Jun 2006 10:36 PDT
TYPO CORRECTION:  "If they say they don't have one on file, *DO NOT*
press the issue. Just let it go."
dan_from_nm-ga rated this answer:5 out of 5 stars and gave an additional tip of: $5.50
Good knowledge of issue.  Quick response.  Help appreciated.  GB

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