Conducting an effective MVR review involves more than confirming that a driver has a valid license. Employers should also evaluate violations, accidents, restrictions, license actions, and patterns of unsafe driving behavior.
Keep reading to learn how to conduct an MVR review, identify potential red flags, and take corrective action.
What Is a Motor Vehicle Record?
A Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) is a report that provides information about a driver’s motor vehicle and licensing history. Depending on the state and type of record, it may include traffic violations, accidents, license status, suspensions, restrictions, and endorsements.
Employers use MVRs to review a driver’s history during the hiring process and as part of ongoing driver qualification and safety programs.
Why Are MVRs Important for Employers?
Driving history can provide valuable insight into a driver’s past behavior on the road. Research has shown that certain violations, convictions, and previous crashes are associated with a greater likelihood of future crash involvement.
According to ATRI’s 2022 analysis of more than 580,000 commercial drivers:
- A failure-to-yield violation was associated with a 141% increase in future crash likelihood.
- An improper-signal conviction was associated with a 116% increase.
- A previous crash was associated with a 113% increase.
- A reckless-driving violation was associated with a 104% increase.
- An improper or erratic lane-change conviction was associated with a 77% increase.
These percentages do not mean that every driver with one of these events will have a crash. However, they demonstrate why driving history is an important source of risk information and why fleets should identify serious or recurring activity, evaluate it promptly, and take appropriate action
How to Spot Red Flags in an MVR
Knowing what to look for can make an MVR review much more effective. Rather than scanning the report for one specific violation, work through the record systematically
1. Confirm Driver’s License Status
First, confirm that the driver is legally qualified to operate the vehicle assigned to them. Look for:
- A recent downgrade or other change in driving privileges
- A suspended, revoked, canceled, expired, or disqualified license
- A license class that does not match the vehicle being operated
- Missing required endorsements
- Restrictions that conflict with the driver’s responsibilities
- An expired or not-certified medical status
2. Review MVR Violations
Don’t just look for whether a violation appears on the record. Consider what happened, when it happened, and how serious the behavior was. Some violations may deserve closer attention, including:
- DUI or DWI
- Reckless or careless driving
- Excessive speeding
- Following too closely
- Driving while suspended or revoked
- Repeated moving violations
When reviewing violations, also evaluate:
- Severity: How serious was the offense?
- Recency: How recently did it occur?
- Frequency: Has the driver received similar violations before?
- Pattern: Does the violation fit into a larger trend of risky behavior?
A single older violation may not indicate an ongoing concern. Multiple recent or serious violations, however, may warrant additional review or corrective action based on company policy.
3. Look for Recurring Patterns
A single violation may not tell the full story. Review the MVR for repeated offenses or trends that could indicate ongoing unsafe driving habits.
As you review the MVR, look for trends such as:
- Multiple violations of the same type
- Incidents occurring within a short period of time
- Increasing frequency or severity of violations
- Repeated behaviors such as speeding, following too closely, or careless driving
- Continued violations after coaching or training
4. Review Accident History
Review any crashes listed on the MVR, paying attention to their frequency, severity, and surrounding circumstances.
- Multiple crashes within a short period
- Crashes associated with speeding, distraction, or other violations
- Hit-and-run offenses or failure to report a crash
- Crashes followed by license action
- Increasing crash frequency or severity
Because MVRs may provide limited crash details and reporting varies by state, compare the record with roadside reports, claims history, PSP reports, telematics data, and other available records before concluding.
5. Consider the Full Driver Record
After reviewing license status, violations, and crash history individually, consider how those pieces fit together.
For example, a recent speeding violation may carry more significance when it appears alongside multiple prior violations, crashes, or license actions. Likewise, a past incident may be less concerning if the driver has maintained a clean record for several years afterward.
Looking at the entire record helps employers evaluate risk in context rather than making decisions based on one entry alone.
How to Respond to MVR Findings
Employers should carefully review the information on the MVR, consider the driver’s complete driving history, and apply established company policies consistently.
A simple MVR evaluation process could look like:
- Review: Understand the violation, crash, or licensing issue and the circumstances surrounding it.
- Verify: Confirm any information that appears unclear, unexpected, or incomplete.
- Evaluate: Consider the severity, recency, frequency, and overall pattern of the driver’s record.
- Respond: Follow company policy and determine the appropriate next step, which may include coaching, assigning driver safety training, issuing a warning, restricting driving responsibilities, or taking other corrective action.
- Document: Keep a record of the review, any conversations with the driver, training assigned, and actions taken.
- Monitor: Continue monitoring the driver’s record for future changes and follow up as needed.
Targeted driver training can be especially valuable when an MVR identifies a specific behavior, such as speeding, following too closely, or careless driving. Connecting the issue to relevant training gives employers an opportunity to address the behavior proactively while documenting the steps taken to improve driver safety.
Stay Ahead With MVR Monitoring
An MVR provides a snapshot of a driver’s record at the time it is pulled. But a driver’s status can change between scheduled reviews due to a new violation, suspension, conviction, or other licensing action.
Continuous MVR monitoring helps employers gain greater visibility into those changes without relying solely on annual checks or driver self-reporting. It can also help organizations score and categorize drivers based on established risk criteria, recognize developing patterns, and prioritize higher-risk drivers for review, coaching, or targeted training. This ongoing visibility supports faster, more consistent action when a driver’s risk level changes.
With MVR Online’s continuous MVR monitoring, your team can receive alerts when reportable changes are identified, review updated driver information, and take action based on your organization’s safety policies.
MVR Online also offers tools for Driver Qualification File Management, CSA Monitoring, and driver training, helping fleets centralize driver risk and compliance information in one platform.
To learn more, contact us or try our interactive platform demo.
*We are not lawyers. Consult with your legal counsel to ensure your processes and procedures meet/ or exceed safety standards and compliance regulations.
