WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy has signed an order announcing new guidelines to strengthen English language enforcement for commercial truck operators.
Under the new guidance, commercial motor vehicle drivers who fail to comply with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's longstanding English-language proficiency requirements will be placed out-of-service.
'America First means safety first. Americans are a lot safer on roads alongside truckers who can understand and interpret our traffic signs. This common-sense change ensures the penalty for failure to comply is more than a slap on the wrist,' said Secretary Duffy.
This new guidance is in line with the Executive Order that President Donald Trump signed last month to strengthen highway safety by ensuring that all commercial drivers are properly qualified and proficient in English.
In April, Secretary Duffy announced steps to rescind a dangerous Obama-era policy that dismissed ELP requirements for CMV drivers.
According to the Trump administration, proficiency in English is a commonsense, non-negotiable safety requirement for professional drivers, as they should be able to read and understand traffic signs; communicate with traffic safety officers, border patrol, agricultural checkpoints, and cargo weight-limit station personnel; and provide and receive feedback and directions in English.
FMCSA regulations provide that a driver unable to sufficiently read or speak English or understand highway traffic signs and signals is not qualified to operate a commercial motor vehicle. However, in 2016, the Obama administration directed inspectors not to place CMV drivers out-of-service for such violations. The failure to adequately enforce driver qualification standards poses serious safety concerns and increases the likelihood of a crash, the Department of Transportation says.
The new guidelines, making English proficiency mandatory for truck drivers, will come into force nationwide on June 25.
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