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Touchscreen Technology for Driver's License Tests

Technology being deployed across Mississippi.

Touchscreen technology is being implemented in the Driver License Stations across the state of Mississippi. "This is the latest in our ongoing effort to provide the newest and best technology available to improve convenience and efficiency of the Driver Services Division and the agency as a whole," said Public Safety Commissioner David Huggins.

Mississippi has more than 1.7 million licensed drivers, and the new technology will simplify the testing process and also offers a mechanism to protect the integrity of the tests and virtually eliminate cheating.

"It means that taking the driver's license test will be faster and more user-friendly but will also enhance the security of the test itself because each test is individually constructed in a random fashion from a database of over 800 questions. This makes certain that no two test applicants ever get exactly the same test," said Mississippi Highway Patrol (MHP) Director, Colonel L.M. Claiborne Jr.

When installation is complete, there will be 41 touchscreen computer terminals in 19 locations around the state and will allow driver's license applicants to get in and out of the testing stations more quickly.

"The convenience this new systems offers is a major issue to us so that we can better serve the people of Mississippi, but the best part is that the federal government is footing most of the bill," said MHP Assistant Director, Lieutenant Colonel Lane Jenkins.

A grant from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is providing 80 percent of the money needed to purchase and install the equipment; the total set-up cost is $611,000.

The system also allows examiners to take a digital photograph of the applicant and store it in a database or print it on a special form with other applicant information as an additional safeguard against fraud. The system also has many features to accommodate driver's license candidates, including:

  • The touchscreen test stations are equipped with a telephone handset, so that applicants who need to have the test instructions, questions and possible answers read to them can hear the audio and follow along. Using the handset will prevent the audio from one test from disturbing the other applicants in the testing area.

  • Applicants for a Mississippi driver's license can now request a test in English or Spanish. Commercial driver license applicants can request a test in either English or Spanish.

  • Test questions are presented on the computer screen with an accompanying color picture, video or 3D animation of road signs and typical driving situations, giving applicants a better understanding of the questions.

  • Driver license examiners can use a "quick pass/fail" feature in the software that automatically concludes a test when the applicant has answered enough questions either correctly or incorrectly to pass or fail. This feature helps move applicants through the testing process more quickly.

  • At the end of a test, applicants can review the questions answered incorrectly. The computer screen will display the answer they selected and, if allowed by the examiner, the correct answer to the question or the page in the driver's manual they can reference for the correct answer. This will help applicants who fail a test to be better prepared the next time.

  • The system can still produce a printed test for anyone who needs to take a paper-and-pencil exam, but the test is produced using the same randomization process that ensures a unique test for each applicant. The system also automatically grades tests and captures results in a database, which will help DPS personnel keep track of testing activity and spot trends or problems.

  • The automated testing system is from OMG, a provider of self-service, Web-based solutions for state and local governments. The installation process began in the Jackson area last week and should be complete by mid-January. The touchscreen kiosks will be located at the following driver's license stations: Batesville, Biloxi, Brookhaven, Columbus, Greenville, Greenwood, Gulfport, Hattiesburg, Jackson (Apple Ridge Shopping Center), Meridian, Nesbit, New Albany, Newton, Pascagoula, Richland (US 49 South), Saucier, Starkville, Tupelo and Vicksburg.