I-Team: Federal Agency Making Changes To Prevent RMV Nightmares For Drivers

BOSTON (CBS) - A federal agency is making changes to a national database to prevent innocent drivers from experiencing the frustration caused by cases of mistaken identity.

The I-Team exposed the problem in May, documenting the ordeal of Bolton, Mass. driver David Barnes, who faced the threat of a license revocation for someone else's traffic violations in New Mexico.

Barnes had never driven in New Mexico. However, despite weeks of calls and emails, Barnes could not get the issue corrected until he contacted the I-Team.

Following the story, several other drivers detailed similar bureaucratic battles after they'd mistakenly been connected to people with similar names and birthdays.

The topic also attracted the interest of Rep. Michael Capuano, who wrote a letter to the head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which oversees the database known as the National Driver Register (NDR).

Capuano said he supported the concept of the NDR—to prevent drivers with suspended or revoked licenses from shopping for licenses in other states. However, he told the I-Team the implementation needed improvement.

"We're going to have to make some progress. We can't leave it alone the way it is, not after your story," Capuano said in a May interview.

In July, NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind responded to the Massachusetts Congressman, saying the technology is being reviewed.

"We are exploring ways that the threshold levels for matching can be revised to reduce the chance of misidentification," Rosekind wrote. "We are currently working with states on a revised matching protocol and plan to test it soon."

Rosekind added that he wants to make sure the changes don't come at a cost of allowing problem drivers to escape detection.

Capuano said he is encouraged NHTSA is reviewing the system and would like an update on the situation once testing is complete.

Barnes, the driver who endured the RMV nightmare, had a more tempered reaction. While he is happy NHTSA is acknowledging the system needs improvement, Barnes expressed skepticism.

"Maybe there will be fewer false positives, but if you are unlucky enough to be one of them, I'm sure the system will remain as unsympathetically incompetent as it already has proven itself to be in my case," Barnes said.

Ryan Kath can be reached at rkath@cbs.com. You can also follow him on Twitter or connect on Facebook.