Trucking industry experts say there is no data on the number of crashes that can occur each year by truck drivers who cannot read English road signs.
Governor Desantis speaks about Harjinder Singh after a fatal crash
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis spoke about Herjinder Singh. He will hold extradition hearings that could face manslaughter charges of three vehicles.
Fox-35 Orlando
At least 3,000 truckers have been taken from American roads in the last two months since the Trump administration failed the forced roadside English test as they made commercial drivers stricter nationwide.
The move has attracted applause from many trucking associations. This says consistent enforcement will improve road safety by allowing drivers to read roadside signs. However, some critics are worried about possible inappropriate racial profiling by police.
Adding new urgency to the debate: California truck driver Haljinder Singh is accused of causing the fatal August 12 crash in Florida after colliding with a minivan and pulling an illegal U-turn. He later failed the Roadside English Proficiency Test, federal officials said in a social media post that he called an illegal immigrant who should not be approved.
“Federal law is clear, we are drivers who cannot read English well or speak our language, and our language – and we understand that road signs are not entitled to drive commercial American cars.
The top five states where drivers have been removed from the road are in a descending order of Texas, Tennessee, Wyoming, Iowa and Arizona. Federal statistics show that Texas has removed nearly 350 drivers from the road.
While some states allow drivers to obtain written portions of their commercial driver’s license tests in either English or Spanish, truck drivers must demonstrate proficiency in written and oral English only when taking the actual test. Singh, who is originally from India, appeared in a California courthouse on August 20th using a translator.
As you follow the road, truck drivers will also need to speak and read English during traffic stops and checks for surveys. The Obama administration suspended enforcement of the English Proficiency Rules in 2016, but the Trump White House overturned that decision as of June 25, requiring truck drivers to speak to inspectors without using smartphone apps or translators. The English rules have been law for decades, but have been enforced unevenly.
The English rules also apply to Mexican or Canadian truck drivers. President Donald Trump declared English in March as the only official language of the United States, but it remains unclear whether he has the legal authority to force him to follow state rules.
Trucking industry experts say there is no solid data on the number of crashes that can occur each year by truck drivers who cannot read English road signs. However, federal officials say crashes, including trucks, are usually more dangerous and expensive.
The decision to strictly enforce existing rules is part of a recent series of truck driver approval measures taken by the Trump White House. The White House also suggests that the state could withhold highway safety funds if it doesn’t take part, but the state remains enforced with the English rules.
“The trucking industry is grateful for the Trump administration to respond to our concerns about the uneven application of this existing regulation,” Dan Holvas, chief operating officer of the American Trucking Association, told USA Today.
English road sign reading test
In Wyoming, the state’s commercial vehicle inspectors have operated around 240 truck drivers since June 25th due to lack of English proficiency. Troopers discovered 379 violations last year, but those truckers were allowed to stay on the road.
Lt. Colonel Kyle McKay, who oversees the state’s motor carrier unit, said his troopers will test drivers who test their English proficiency during random roadside inspections and mandatory port checks. Wyoming is home to Interstate 80 and 25 meeting in Cheyenne, and the state sees heavy cross-country freight traffic despite its low population.
The test, which is standardized nationwide, requires drivers to answer 14 specific questions with 37 English and identifiable road signs. Questions include: “Where did you start your day?” And “How long are you driving today?” McKay said.
Singh, a truck driver accused of a fatal Florida crash, could only answer two of the 12-word questions and identify only one of four highway traffic signs, federal officials said.
Commercial truck drivers are kept at a higher standard than passenger drivers, and their licenses also require routine medical checkups. As part of the safety crackdown, the federal government is moving towards the requirement that medical documents be stored electronically to limit counterfeiting. Truck drivers should also submit random safety checks and measurements.
“We’re not trying to limit commerce or transportation. We’re trying to keep everyone safe,” McKay said. “If the driver reads and doesn’t understand the highway signs, it could cause the driver to get caught up in a crash and hurt someone because he couldn’t read the signs that read “Road closed” or “Left lane closed.” ”
McKay said he often saw drivers who seem to memorize only the first six signs of 37 that truckers should have truly known, or who try to guess what questions he is asking.
He determines that the driver cannot speak English, troopers help to wait for the replacement driver in a safe place, sometimes escorting the interstate and escorting them to rest stops or exits. Sometimes truckers simply drive away, and troopers have to decide whether it’s worth taking them to prison.
McKay said he recognizes that troopers will have an impact on revenues when they bring drivers off the road. Drivers who have been removed from taxis to prevent English speaking can appeal the decision multiple times, he said. All of the interactions in Wyoming are video-recorded, and the troopers work carefully to ensure that heavy accents don’t disqualify anyone, he said.
“We understand that these are people who are trying to make a living for their families. We don’t want to limit commerce and limit the ability of drivers to make a living,” McKay said. “But whenever you can take a driver out of a road where you can’t read a simple road sign, you’re going to make it safer.”
Truck carrier, fake IDs are part of the problem
McKay said the uncruel trucking companies that knowingly hire unqualified drivers are part of the problem. Some trucking companies struggle to hire because drivers have low wages, long hours and large turnover.
“There’s so much work and there’s not enough drivers, so businesses are willing to take risks,” McKay said. “This costs everyone. Insurance premiums, product costs. It affects everyone.”
Enforcement of English is just one of several steps the White House is taking to address concerns about unsafe driving. Regulators also conclude with fake medical documents and audit status known to provide CDL to non-resident drivers.
In Texas, Major General Omar A. Villarreal of the Texas Highway Patrol is trying to draw more attention to fake licenses issued in the United States or Mexico.
Villarreal said some American trucking schools can fund their funds to issue CDLs to unqualified drivers. Other examples say undocumented immigrants from Guatemala, Honduras and other countries have obtained fake Mexican licenses. This is presented as both a valid license and a license to work in the United States. The ATA also expresses concerns about how easy it is for an unqualified driver to obtain a license.
“So now you’re the guy who has never spent a day behind the wheels of a commercial vehicle for one night, and he’s fully qualified to drive half,” Villarreal said. “If you have the money, you can get a license to drive trucks on the streets and kill people.”
Risks of uneven enforcement, racial profiling
Former truck driver Adam Wingfield, who now works as an industry consultant, said he is worried that executions will become uneven across the country. For example, California issues only one “substantial service” violation to drivers because they cannot understand English. He said there are similar concerns about many other traffic violations, as well as the English test.
“At the end of the day, the person who is forcing them is still human and can have different kinds of bias,” he said. “It’s a lot like a suspension and a Frisk. You’ll have more enforcement in some states and fewer in others.”
Looking at historic safety statistics, Wingfield said Obama-era outages do not seem to have much impact on truck crashes nationwide. He said “sloppy” companies are too fast to hire unqualified drivers, regardless of their ability to speak English.
“Just because you’re American doesn’t mean you follow the rules,” he said. “I know there are cold-blooded Americans who don’t trust a set of keys.”
