An independent audit says the state's motor vehicle department has had a "longstanding policy'' of not prioritizing the processing of out-of-state notifications about driving offenses.
The Boston Globe reports the audit, released Friday, found the Registry of Motor Vehicles faces significant backlogs in other areas too, including adding criminal information to drivers' records.
Acting Registrar Jamey Tesler says the agency's culture needs to change, though noted that other states also struggle to keep records current.
Massachusetts hired auditors after a man drove his truck and trailer into a group of motorcyclists in northern New Hampshire, killing seven.
A preliminary report found Connecticut officials twice alerted Massachusetts about a drunken driving arrest against the truck driver, 23-year-old Volodymyr Zhukovskyy. Despite the alerts, Massachusetts didn't suspend Zhukovskyy's license. Zhukovskyy has pleaded not guilty.
