The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is moving to codify guidelines that enforce English Language Proficiency (ELP) requirements for commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers into a new rule. By turning this guideline into a codified rule, future administrations will not be able to weaken ELP requirements, allowing unqualified drivers to remain on U.S. roads.
Under the new standard, CMV drivers unable to sufficiently read or speak English or understand highway traffic signs and signals will be placed out-of-service. Secretary Duffy’s crackdown on dangerous drivers has already knocked more than 26,000 drivers off American roads for failing ELP tests.
“Federal law is clear, drivers who can’t read or speak English—our national language—or understand road signs are unqualified to operate 80,000-pound big rigs on America’s highways. By making these commonsense English proficiency standards permanent, we are closing a dangerous loophole that has cost Americans their lives. The Trump Administration is committed to putting American families first and ensuring the safety of our roads,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy.
“When a driver can’t read a ‘Steep Grade,’ ‘Runaway Truck Ramp,’ or ‘Do Not Enter’ sign, people die. This rulemaking codifies commonsense safety into law. Since reinvigorating strict ELP checks, we have already pulled over 26,000 unqualified drivers off the road. This rule ensures that roadside inspectors will always have the full force of federal regulation behind them to issue immediate out-of-service orders whenever an unqualified driver is detected,” said FMCSA Administrator Derek D. Barrs.
The original announcement can be found here.
