Weekly Highlights from the NCDOT 13 Driver License Examiners Added to DMV Staff

RALEIGH – The following are highlights from this week at the N.C. Department of Transportation. The stories below are also featured in NCDOT Now, the department's weekly newscast.

Hot Car Safety

As people are out enjoying summertime activities and vacation, it’s a good time to remember some important safety tips while out driving in the heat.

July is typically the most deadly month for children being left in hot cars. In North Carolina from 1990 to 2017, 33 infants and children died after being left in vehicles.

To help reduce the chances of this happening, motorists should:
• Look before locking. Get into the habit of checking the back seats before locking the vehicle and walking away;
• Leave a reminder by putting a stuffed toy or memento in the front seat that the child is seated in the back; and
• Keep keys out of children’s reach. Nearly three in 10 heatstroke deaths happen when an unattended child gains access to a vehicle.

These safety tips also apply when traveling with pets. A dog can die of heatstroke in just 15 minutes.

Additionally, drivers should check their tire pressure before hitting the road. It’s best to do this when the tires have been sitting and are cold for an accurate reading. Window shades are an inexpensive way to keep the car’s interior cooler in extreme heat in a vehicle to deter hot surfaces. Additionally, to prevent overheating, drivers should check a vehicle’s fluids and coolant on a regular basis and get it inspected by a mechanic before long trips.

Improved NCDOT and NCDMV Websites

Redesigned and reorganized websites for the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles and NCDOT have launched. With the new sites, the department hopes to provide better customer service for customers wanting easier to understand information quickly.

Some new overall features include: location-based news specific to one’s area; improved search and navigation features; a mobile-friendly and modern design; and easier access to DMV online services and information.

13 Driver License Examiners Added to DMV Staff


The N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles will add 13 new driver license examiner graduates to seven driver license offices next week. Following graduation from DMV’s Basic Examiner Training School on Friday, July 20, the examiners will begin work at area offices on Monday, July 23.

The examiners had six weeks of intensive classroom study at the N.C. Justice Academy in Salemburg. They will take applications for learner permits, driver licenses, REAL ID and basic identification cards using modernized systems that create counterfeit-proof documents that protect against identity theft. They will also conduct road tests for new drivers.

“Every driver license examiner holds a high place of public trust,” said DMV Training Director Steve Watkins. “Great results do not come without great challenges. And we know, based on the training these graduates have received, they are ready for the tasks ahead.”

The new examiners and their duty stations are: Michael King, Cary; Marcella Spaulding, Lumberton; C. Tyler Thomasson, Sylva; Janet Hessel, Troy Barber, Desharn Leslie, Dawn Wilson, Atilla Turkoglu, Huntersville; Jennifer Montaque, Concord; Takenya Flaverney, South Wilmington; Stacey Oglesby, Nags Head; Kathrina Thompson, Monroe; and Kenneth Furr, Aberdeen.

Visit the redesigned NCDOT and NCDMV websites.



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Published at 6:00pm on July 20, 2018