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New reporting and record reviews for commercial drivers

Enola area residents can find the roads safer thanks to new requirements by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to help reduce impaired driving among truckers.

Drunk driving is known to cause many a serious accident and even claim numerous lives each year. Impaired operation of a motor vehicle due to drugs is also a cause of many injury or fatal accidents in Enola. In fact, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is working with drug manufacturers to better identify which medications can cause interference with safe driving abilities. Any accident victim who has been involved in a crash caused by an impaired driver understands these dangers all too well.

When an accident caused by a person driving under the influence of either alcohol or drugs involves a large truck or other commercial vehicle, the consequences can be even greater due to the heavy weight and size of the truck. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration realizes these risks and is working to make these accidents less common and improve safety for all Pennsylvania residents.

What is the FMCSA doing?

As noted by the Commercial Carrier Journal, the FMCSA is currently building out a new database designed to receive and report critical data about all commercially licensed drivers. This information will include drug and alcohol test failures, passes or refusals.

Along with the database will come some very clear rules for its use during the pre-employment screening process as well as once drivers are hired. These rules include:

  • All drivers must be able to pass substance tests for both drugs and alcohol before they can be hired for new driving jobs. Their participation in such testing must be consented to in writing.
  • Applicants who choose not to consent to testing may still be hired but not for any jobs that require operation of commercial vehicles.
  • Upon receipt of substance test results, employers must submit the results to the database.
  • Employers must also check the database records for all driving job applicants.
  • Annual reviews must be completed of all employees’ records in the database.

Independent parties must be hired to review the database records for any truckers that own and operate their own vehicles.

Is impaired driving among truckers a problem in the U.S.?

In 2011, more than 9,000 people died in drunk driving crashes around the country and 43 of the drivers involved in these accidents were operating large trucks per the records from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The following year, more than 10,000 people died in drunk driving crashes around the country and 80 of the drivers involved in these accidents were operating large trucks.

Options for Enola residents

When accidents leave victims facing lifelong disabilities, the loss of loved ones or more, victims are encouraged to seek the help they deserve. Talking to an attorney is recommended for this purpose.

Keywords: truck, accident, injury