On May 5, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced several new measures the Federal Motor Carrier Administration (FMCSA) will be implementing to increase the safety of bus passengers across the nation.
The DOT will now require more thorough testing for commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) and will make new rules to reinforce compliance to federal safety regulations by passenger carriers. The FMCSA, working with state law enforcement, also plans to conduct motorcoach inspections unannounced at popular travel destinations all over the country during the spring and summer seasons.
The FMCSA also announced a new rule under which anyone applying for a CDL must first obtain a commercial driver’s learner’s permit (CLP). In addition, the new rule requires all state licensing agencies in the U.S. to use a CDL testing system that meets the standards of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators for CDL knowledge and skills. The new rule also prohibits the use of foreign language interpreters during testing to prevent fraud. Before this rule, CDL testing was not uniform in the U.S. and CDL applicants were not required to obtain a CLP before a CDL.
Additionally, the DOT proposed another measure that would grant the agency stronger power to take enforcement action against unsafe “reincarnated” carriers by making a federal standard to help identify whether a new carrier is actually an older carrier that was considered unsafe. The DOT also proposed to make it mandatory for new motorcoach companies to go through a full safety audit before they are given operating authority by the DOT. It was also proposed by the DOT for a driver’s CDL to be suspended or revoked after a drug or alcohol-related offense is committed in a non-commercial vehicle, as well as for the penalty for passenger carriers that try to operate without DOT authority be increased to $25,000 a day from $2,000.
At Panish Shea & Boyle LLP, our Los Angeles bus accident attorneys understand the emotional, financial, and physical struggles a victim faces after a serious bus accident. To learn how our lawyers can help you hold a negligent bus company and/or bus driver accountable for their actions, call our law offices at 1-877-800-1700 today.
