New Jersey man mistakenly labeled 'problem driver,' blocked from renewing license
Joe Bruno has always considered himself a good driver, so he was shocked to receive a letter informing him he was ineligible to renew his license.
"I try to follow the speed limits all the time," Bruno said. "You have to be careful."
The letter from the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission stated he was flagged in a database of drivers whose privileges have been suspended or revoked. Even more puzzling, the letter said it was the state of New York that flagged him.
But Bruno has never lived or driven in New York.
"I don't drive in New York, I don't have a license in New York," he said. "I don't know what they're talking about."
After weeks of unsuccessful attempts with both states to rectify the issue, and with time running out before his license was set to expire, Bruno emailed InYourCorner@cbs.com for help.
Pinpointing the problem
The letter Bruno received said his name matched a record in what's known as the Problem Driver Pointer System (PDPS). It's a federal database used by states to check for issues with someone's driving record before issuing a license.
The system is designed to ensure someone whose driving privileges have been revoked or suspended in one state cannot receive or renew their license in another state.
But CBS News Philadelphia found you can mistakenly land on the list simply for having a name similar to an actual "problem driver."
"Bruno is a very common name, and Joseph Bruno is probably one of the most common Bruno names," said his wife Terry Bruno.
Once someone is flagged as a "problem driver," the Brunos learned it can be difficult to fix the error.
"He was broken, his license means everything to him, it's his independence," Terry Bruno said. "So for him to have to go through all this just because somebody else has the same name."
Correcting the error
Joe Bruno was told by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission it was his responsibility to contact New York, the state that reported him to the "problem driver" system.
Workers with the New York Department of Motor Vehicles told Bruno to fax documents including his birth certificate and social security card. They would review the information, he was told, and send what's called a "no match letter" for Bruno to take back to New Jersey proving he wasn't the "problem driver" in New York.
But six weeks later, they were still waiting.
That's when the Brunos contacted CBS News Philadelphia.
"I said, 'I can't understand it, I'm really frustrated, my blood pressure is up, I'm in a bad mood, I can't sleep,'" Bruno said. "Then I look at Channel 3 and I see Josh on there helping people and I said, 'This is the last resort.'"
CBS News Philadelphia cut through the red tape, clearing the way for Bruno to get his renewed license.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the federal agency that operates the "problem driver" system, said it doesn't verify what's entered into the database. In an emailed statement, the agency said it's up to states to enter correct information. A spokesperson for NHTSA said the agency doesn't track how many U.S. drivers each year are impacted by errors like this.
We asked representatives with both the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission and New York Department of Motor Vehicles why they couldn't differentiate between different Joe Brunos. Neither would offer an explanation and each referred us to the other.
Finally relieved to have his situation sorted out, Bruno said it shouldn't fall on the driver to fix false alerts when the mistake was made by the state.
"I would have never gotten this far without you, Josh, I believe you really helped me," he said.
If someone is unable to receive a response from a state licensing agency, NHTSA said they can contact the National Driver Register office at (202) 366-4800 to help facilitate a response from that state. You can find more information here on how to contact NHTSA if you're labeled a 'problem driver' in error.
Do you have a money question, a consumer issue, or a scam story you want to share? Email InYourCorner@cbs.com.