At one time or another, we’ve all seen a heavy truck operated in an unsafe manner. To eliminate bad drivers from causing roadway dangers, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (CSA) has set out to rate big-rig drivers base on their fitness to operate their vehicles.
But don’t get behind the wheel thinking these ratings will take effect soon.
“Because it’s a complex rule and the CSA system is undergoing constant refinement, the agency has been slow out of the gate. The initial proposal for the rule has been bumped several times and now is scheduled for White House vetting in October and to be published early next year. A final version is not likely before 2015.”
One important element in the proposed rating system would allow regulators to track drivers as they move from trucking firm to trucking firm. All too often, drivers who have been involved in terrible accidents, including those who have tested positive for banned substances, simply change employers in order to keep themselves on the road.
When completed, the proposed rating system hopefully will include the ability to track whether drivers have been abusing drugs and/or drinking and driving, in addition to identifying those drivers who have failed motor vehicle inspections or taken part in other irresponsible behavior.
Although the government’s final solution appears to be slow in coming, here’s hoping that it will be worth the wait when it is finally enacted.
