Federal Agency Looks at Safety Issues

A panel of experts recently urged the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration – the agency charged with large truck and bus highway safety – to require that obese commercial drivers with body mass indices of 35 or more be tested for sleep apnea, a problem for millions of Americans.

The recommendations also include potential disqualification of commercial drivers who fall asleep at the wheel or are involved in fatigue-related truck accidents.

More common in men, obstructive sleep apnea is a common disorder that causes a person’s breathing during sleep to be shallow and interrupted because the airway is blocked in the throat area, often because of obesity. During interrupted breathing, the sleeper actually stops breathing for anywhere from a couple of seconds up to several minutes. Snoring is often a symptom. [Read more…]

With the Senate addressing the reauthorization of federal highway safety programs, it’s not a surprise that big trucks are also an issue before Congress. Earlier this year, Senators and House Representatives introduced Senate Bill 747 (S. 747) and House Bill 763 (H.B. 763) to their respective bodies. In so doing, the group has stirred the debate on the issue of “bigger” trucks and highway safety.

Under S. 747, and sister legislation H.R. 763, both titled the Safe and Efficient Transportation Act of 2011 (SETA), states can allow heavier commercial vehicles on their highways. This proposed legislation would increase the poundage limits from 80,000 pounds to 97,000 pounds and increase axle limits to six.

Supporters of the legislation, submitted at the urging of the Coalition for Transportation Productivity, argue it offers many benefits. Commercial shippers would have more truck space which in turn reduces fuel costs and other expenses. Advocates say the change would eliminate at least one competitive disadvantage that American producers face in comparison to those in Canada, European Union, and Mexico. [Read more…]