Qualification of Drivers; Exemption Applications; Vision |
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Larry W. Minor
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
16 January 2018
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 10 (Tuesday, January 16, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2289-2291]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-00599]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
[Docket No. FMCSA-2017-0023]
Qualification of Drivers; Exemption Applications; Vision
AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of final disposition.
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SUMMARY: FMCSA announces its decision to exempt 25 individuals from the
vision requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations
(FMCSRs) to operate a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) in interstate
commerce. They are unable to meet the vision requirement in one eye for
various reasons. The exemptions enable these individuals to operate
CMVs in interstate commerce without meeting the vision requirement in
one eye.
DATES: The exemptions were applicable on October 19, 2017. The
exemptions expire on October 19, 2019.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Christine A. Hydock, Chief,
Medical Programs Division, (202) 366-4001, fmcsamedical@dot.gov, FMCSA,
Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Room W64-224,
Washington, DC 20590-0001. Office hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
e.t., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. If you have
questions regarding viewing or submitting material to the docket,
contact Docket Services, telephone (202) 366-9826.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Electronic Access
You may see all the comments online through the Federal Document
Management System (FDMS) at http://www.regulations.gov.
Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or
comments, go to http://www.regulations.gov and/or Room W12-140 on the
ground level of the West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE,
Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., e.t., Monday through Friday,
except Federal holidays.
[[Page 2290]]
Privacy Act: In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits
comments from the public to better inform its rulemaking process. DOT
posts these comments, without edit, including any personal information
the commenter provides, to http://www.regulations.gov, as described in
the system of records notice (DOT/ALL-14 FDMS), which can be reviewed
at http://www.dot.gov/privacy.
II. Background
On September 18, 2017, FMCSA published a notice announcing receipt
of applications from 25 individuals requesting an exemption from vision
requirement in 49 CFR 391.41(b)(10) and requested comments from the
public (82 FR 43647). The public comment period ended on October 18,
2017, and three comments were received.
FMCSA has evaluated the eligibility of these applicants and
determined that granting the exemptions to these individuals would
achieve a level of safety equivalent to or greater than the level that
would be achieved by complying with the current regulation 49 CFR
391.41(b)(10).
The physical qualification standard for drivers regarding vision
found in 49 CFR 391.41(b)(10) states that a person is physically
qualified to drive a CMV if that person has distant visual acuity of at
least 20/40 (Snellen) in each eye without corrective lenses or visual
acuity separately corrected to 20/40 (Snellen) or better with
corrective lenses, distant binocular acuity of a least 20/40 (Snellen)
in both eyes with or without corrective lenses, field of vision of at
least 70[deg] in the horizontal meridian in each eye, and the ability
to recognize the colors of traffic signals and devices showing red,
green, and amber.
III. Discussion of Comments
FMCSA received three comments in this proceeding. Mr. Cory Manthei
commented however his comments are out of scope for this office. Mr.
Ryan Pitre commented that FMCSA should revisit the vision
qualifications and stated that these are new regulations. In July 1992,
the Agency first published the criteria for the Vision Waiver Program,
and are therefore not new regulations. Mr. Brian Weaver commented that
he believes that if a driver is able to back a trailer in a safe manner
then those drivers are okay to obtain a vision exemption. FMCSA has
established program criteria drivers must meet in order to obtain a
Federal vision exemption, functional testing is not one of them.
IV. Basis for Exemption Determination
Under 49 U.S.C. 31136(e) and 31315, FMCSA may grant an exemption
from the vision standard in 49 CFR 391.41(b)(10) if the exemption is
likely to achieve an equivalent or greater level of safety than would
be achieved without the exemption. The exemption allows applicants to
operate CMVs in interstate commerce.
The Agency's decision regarding these exemption applications is
based on medical reports about the applicants' vision as well as their
driving records and experience driving with the vision deficiency. The
qualifications, experience, and medical condition of each applicant
were stated and discussed in detail in the September 18, 2017, Federal
Register notice (82 FR 43647) and will not be repeated in this notice.
FMCSA recognizes that some drivers do not meet the vision
requirement but have adapted their driving to accommodate their
limitation and demonstrated their ability to drive safely. The 25
exemption applicants listed in this notice are in this category. They
are unable to meet the vision requirement in one eye for various
reasons, including amblyopia, aphakia, cataract, chorioretinal scar,
complete loss of vision, fibrotic scarring, macular coloboma, phthisis
bulbi, prosthetic eye, retinal detachment, retinal neovascularization,
and retinal scarring. In most cases, their eye conditions were not
recently developed. Nineteen of the applicants were either born with
their vision impairments or have had them since childhood. The six
individuals that sustained their vision conditions as adults have had
it for a range of four to 45 years. Although each applicant has one eye
which does not meet the vision requirement in 49 CFR 391.41(b)(10),
each has at least 20/40 corrected vision in the other eye, and in a
doctor's opinion, has sufficient vision to perform all the tasks
necessary to operate a CMV.
Doctors' opinions are supported by the applicants' possession of a
valid license to operate a CMV. By meeting State licensing
requirements, the applicants demonstrated their ability to operate a
CMV, with their limited vision in intrastate commerce, even though
their vision disqualified them from driving in interstate commerce. We
believe that the applicants' intrastate driving experience and history
provide an adequate basis for predicting their ability to drive safely
in interstate commerce. Intrastate driving, like interstate operations,
involves substantial driving on highways on the interstate system and
on other roads built to interstate standards. Moreover, driving in
congested urban areas exposes the driver to more pedestrian and
vehicular traffic than exists on interstate highways. Faster reaction
to traffic and traffic signals is generally required because distances
between them are more compact. These conditions tax visual capacity and
driver response just as intensely as interstate driving conditions.
The applicants in this notice have driven CMVs with their limited
vision in careers ranging for five to 56 years. In the past three
years, one driver was involved in a crash, and two drivers were
convicted of moving violations in CMVs. All the applicants achieved a
record of safety while driving with their vision impairment,
demonstrating the likelihood that they have adapted their driving
skills to accommodate their condition. As the applicants' ample driving
histories with their vision deficiencies are good predictors of future
performance, FMCSA concludes their ability to drive safely can be
projected into the future.
Consequently, FMCSA finds that in each case exempting these
applicants from the vision requirement in 49 CFR 391.41(b)(10) is
likely to achieve a level of safety equal to that existing without the
exemption.
V. Conditions and Requirements
The terms and conditions of the exemption are provided to the
applicants in the exemption document and includes the following: (1)
Each driver must be physically examined every year (a) by an
ophthalmologist or optometrist who attests that the vision in the
better eye continues to meet the standard in 49 CFR 391.41(b)(10) and
(b) by a certified Medical Examiner who attests that the individual is
otherwise physically qualified under 49 CFR 391.41; (2) each driver
must provide a copy of the ophthalmologist's or optometrist's report to
the Medical Examiner at the time of the annual medical examination; and
(3) each driver must provide a copy of the annual medical certification
to the employer for retention in the driver's qualification file, or
keep a copy in his/her driver's qualification file if he/she is self-
employed. The driver must also have a copy of the exemption when
driving, for presentation to a duly authorized Federal, State, or local
enforcement official.
VI. Preemption
During the period the exemption is in effect, no State shall
enforce any law or regulation that conflicts with this
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exemption with respect to a person operating under the exemption.
VII. Conclusion
Based upon its evaluation of the 25 exemption applications, FMCSA
exempts the following drivers from the vision requirement, 49 CFR
391.41(b)(10), subject to the requirements cited above:
Paul A. Bartels (WI)
Harold J. Bartley, Jr. (KY)
Charles C. Berns (IA)
Eric L. Boyle, Jr. (MD)
Jeremiah E. Casey (MO)
Leonard M. Cassieri (CA)
Randy J. Conrad (IA)
Jimmie E. Curtis (NM)
Daniel E. Delano (VA)
Jonathan P. Edwards (PA)
James A. Green (IL)
Richard Healy (MD)
Tommy G. Hillis (TX)
Richard A. Honstad (MN)
Stephen M. Lovell (TX)
Thomas P. Maio (ME)
Carlos Marquez (WI)
Jason L. McBride (MI)
Dennis M. Olson (WI)
Kameron W. Quinalty (AR)
Daniel C. Sagert (WI)
Robert D. Steele (WA)
Richard C. Strassburg (NY)
Jeremy E. Studebaker (IN)
Daniel D. Woodworth (LA)
In accordance with 49 U.S.C. 31136(e) and 31315, each exemption
will be valid for two years from the effective date unless revoked
earlier by FMCSA. The exemption will be revoked if the following
occurs: (1) The person fails to comply with the terms and conditions of
the exemption; (2) the exemption has resulted in a lower level of
safety than was maintained prior to being granted; or (3) continuation
of the exemption would not be consistent with the goals and objectives
of 49 U.S.C. 31136 and 31315.
Issued on: January 5, 2018.
Larry W. Minor,
Associate Administrator for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2018-00599 Filed 1-12-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-EX-P