New leaders at the state Department of Motor Vehicles appear to be making a sincere and deliberative approach to reducing the long lines and other problems that plague the agency. Citizens can help this effort considerably by adapting the 21st century practice of using the internet for routine transactions.

In a recent meeting with the editorial board, DMV Commissioner Michael Bzdyra went systematically through the efforts he and his staff have made since his March appointment to repair the damage done by a necessary but disastrous conversion to a new computer system a year ago.

But one statistic he presented jumped out at us. Surveys and patron interviews determined that 35 percent of the customers who go to a branch office could have conducted their transaction online. If all those folks did their business online, DMV estimates that wait times would drop by 15-20 minutes.

The DMV is making it easy enough. At the top of the homepage, in big yellow boxes, is found the “DMV Online Service Center.” With a few clicks you can renew or cancel a registration, order or replace license plates, print your registration certificate, make a license suspension payment, schedule a learner’s permit test, to name a few services.

Through service improvements, the DMV has cut the average wait time at its offices from 2 hours, 41 minutes last August to about an hour. Get folks to do more business online, and the waits will enter the realm of reasonable. The agency is also working to move more services online.

One of the best moves in the state’s efforts to recover from the computer conversion debacle was the appointment of Judeen Wrinn as the deputy commissioner. Wrinn’s background is in the private sector, with experience in operations and customer service. Most recently she worked for Voya Financial Inc. as the chief operations officer for Retirement Business. She came out of retirement herself to help right the troubled agency.

Wrinn saw the need to treat those coming to the DMV as customers of the state and the need for DMV clerks to receive customer-focused training. Taking its cues from the private sector, the agency is using information from those customers and data to guide the efforts to improve operations.

Among the problems resulting from the computer conversion were mistaken registration suspensions for failing to maintain auto insurance. Drivers who had kept up with their insurance payments found themselves being informed by police officers and troopers that they were driving with suspended registrations.

Until it can fix the software glitch, DMV has stopped issuing such suspensions. Bzdyra said it appears technicians have addressed the issue, but added the agency won’t resume the suspension policy until he is sure it is fixed. That’s understandable. DMV does not need another black eye by restarting a program only to learn problems remain.

Bzdyra also gave a “we’re working on it” response to the software problem that has caused local tax assessors to receive erroneous information about vehicles and their addresses, causing significant problems in collecting motor vehicle taxes locally. Bzdyra expressed confidence that the issue will be resolved for the next budgetary/tax cycle, but again would not put a timetable on the matter.

One small qualm we had with Bzdyra’s approach was his reluctance to set any deadlines for fear of rushing solutions forward that don’t work. Deadlines can be motivational, and those in charge can always adjust them.

On balance, however, Bzdyra and Wrinn are doing a good job of trying to turn DMV into a state agency that doesn’t fill the public with dread.