§1308. Plan of organization and operation; practice instructions; central records bureau

A. The director shall cause to be designed and shall prescribe a definite plan of organization and procedures of the department with a view to the most effective conduct of the work of the department. This plan shall include such elements as unified and systematic procedures, definite allocation of functions to the divisions and other component parts of the department, proper housing and layout of quarters to facilitate the carrying out and supervision of the work in process, effective routing and flow of work, and co-ordination of staff efforts in carrying out the procedures prescribed. The director shall have standard practice instructions prepared for the guidance of all concerned in the operation of the prescribed plan and the system of procedures based upon it and for placing the prescribed procedures into effect and fitting them to the established plan of organization.

B. The director shall create within the department of public safety a central records bureau. Such central records bureau shall be maintained for the principal purpose of accumulating, tabulating and recording all motor vehicle accident and traffic convictions, overtime parking convictions only excepted, occurring within the state of Louisiana.

C. The statistical information thusly obtained shall be analyzed by the central records bureau and made available to:

1. Engineers, for guidance in dealing with high frequency accident locations and for use in improving highway design standards;

2. Enforcement administrators, for use in planning the most effective use of their available manpower and equipment;

3. The driver licensing division of the department of public safety for the utilization of accident experience for driver improvement discipline;

4. Officials responsible for school safety and public information programs, for guiding and implementing their educational activities;

5. The motor vehicle safety responsibility division of the department of public safety;

6. The commissioner of insurance for his use and study in connection with automobile physical damage and bodily injury and property damage automobile insurance rates and to insurance companies which are authorized by the commissioner of insurance to write such coverages in Louisiana. The director of public safety is hereby authorized to charge such companies the actual expenses incurred in furnishing such report but not to exceed a charge of one dollar for each such report;

7. Municipalities and parishes for their use in applying the functions of engineering, education and enforcement to local traffic safety, driver and vehicle control programs;

8. Such other officials of the state, parish and municipalities as may request said analyses for official use.

D. The director of public safety shall provide for the operation of said bureau, including the purchase, installation and use of mechanical tabulating equipment.

E. The central records bureau created herein shall become effective on January 1, 1961.

Amended by Acts 1960, No. 216, §3; Acts 2007, No. 459, §4, eff. Jan. 1, 2008.