Safety groups warn against under-21 CDL proposal

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{"text":"More data should be studied and made public before federal regulators allow a pilot project aimed at getting interstate commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) in the hands of those under 21 to go forward, according to several high-profile truck safety groups.\n\nThe Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMSCA) asked for public comment on whether to move forward on a pilot program for all drivers under 21 – as it is doing currently for those with military driving experience – on May 15, as a means of addressing what the agency considers a “chronic shortage” of drivers willing and able to enter the industry.\n\nFreightWaves has learned that a 30-day extension of the July 15 comment period deadline, requested by the American Trucking Associations (ATA), was likely to be granted to allow the association to continue to gather safety and performance data.\n\nThe ATA and representatives of other large-fleet trucking associations support the pilot project idea, including the National Tank Truck Carriers and the California Trucking Association. They insist it would help fill seats by expanding the potential driver pool.\n\nBut advocacy groups such as the National Safety Council (NSC) warn that putting younger drivers behind the wheel for longer distances would lead to more crashes.\n\n“The data is clear; teen drivers carry more risk and CMV [commercial motor vehicle] crashes are more likely to result in fatalities,” NSC commented. “While NSC understands the trucking industry’s need to maintain an eligible workforce, we believe that combining teens and CMVs creates an unacceptable level of risk for all who share our nation’s roadways.” If FMCSA does decide on rolling out a pilot project, NSC stated, it “must require operational data, including crashes, training and other relevant data to be publicly reported in a timely manner.”\n\nRead more: https://www.freightwaves.com/news/safety-groups-warn-against-under-21-cdl-proposal ","videos":"[]","link":"{}","pics":"[]","canComment":true}