Remarks by Secretary Slater on the Commercial Vehicle Safety Action Plan |
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Rodney E. Slater, United States Secretary of Transportation
May 25, 1999
REMARKS AS DELIVERED
U.S. SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION RODNEY E. SLATER
COMMERCIAL VEHICLE SAFETY ACTION PLAN
WASHINGTON, DC
MAY 25, 1999
President Clinton has set safety as this Administration’s top transportation priority. Under his strong leadership, we have saved lives and reduced injuries throughout our transportation system.
On President Clinton’s watch, highway fatality and drunk driving fatality rates have reached record low levels; seat belt use is at an all time high of over 70 percent -- up from under 50 percent in 1990. Highway-rail crossing deaths are at a record low level, down 58 percent from 1988.
Impressive as these accomplishments are, the President has said "This is not a time to rest, but a time to build."
To keep up our momentum, we have requested and the President has proposed a transportation budget that includes a record $3.5 billion for transportation safety efforts, almost double this year’s levels.
These increased investments will build upon record accomplishments in transportation safety since 1993.
For too long, as we have made substantial progress, more than 5,000 Americans continue to die, year in and year out, in commercial vehicle-related crashes on our roads and highways. This is unacceptable to the President and unacceptable to the Department of Transportation.
It is clear that much more needs to be done. When we submitted our Strategic Plan, which was rated tops in government, we had a 10-year goal of a 20 percent reduction in fatalities. Everyone agreed that it would be difficult to reach that goal.
Today, Federal Highway Administrator Ken Wykle and I are announcing that as a Department we must make the decision to go beyond that 20 percent goal. We are committed to working with all parties involved in government, in the industry, in labor, and in the safety community to develop a comprehensive strategy to achieve a 50 percent reduction in fatalities related to commercial motor vehicle crashes within the next decade.
Reaching the 50 percent goal will involve difficult choices but they are choices we are prepared to consider and make as we move forward. I will walk through some of the things that may be necessary for us to achieve that 50 percent goal.
Those actions could include:
Driving a big truck or a bus is a privilege, not a right. Continuing to allow 5,000 deaths from crashes involving trucks and buses every year is simply unacceptable. So, we must make the hard choices as we go through the process. The goal of a 50 percent reduction is achievable if we put our minds to it, if we commit to it.
Today, Administrator Wykle and I will layout a bold and comprehensive series of actions we are going to take immediately to bring down that unacceptably high number of deaths and injuries.
This plan combines stronger enforcement, tougher penalties, new regulations, advanced technology and calls for more education and research.
It will focus resources from across the entire Department on producing better vehicles with better drivers and getting the drivers and companies with bad records off the roads.
Before I outline the plan, let me acknowledge people who have helped bring this issue to the forefront. Chief among these, in the Congress, Chairman McCain, Chairman Wolf, Congressman Oberstar, Senator Lautenberg, Chairman Shelby and Chairman Shuster. Also, former Congressman Norm Mineta, Inspector General Ken Mead, and Chairman Jim Hall and the National Transportation Safety Board have all been extremely helpful with their fact-finding, advice and recommendations.
Here are the main points of our commercial motor vehicle safety action plan. We are committed to the following actions:
First, new rules will give us the authority to shut down unfit carriers. In appropriate cases, significantly increasing the fines for safety violations, limiting negotiated settlements or "wrist-slaps," and eliminating the current backlog of enforcement cases by the end of the year.
Second, doubling the number of compliance reviews each month for safety investigators. That means an annual increase per inspector from 24 to 48. We will also increase the number of safety inspectors at border areas by 50 to begin with and more later.
Third, we are going to expedite the process of addressing driver fatigue through hours-of-service regulations, on-board electronic monitors and other means. This point addresses a major recommendation of the National Transportation Safety Board.
Fourth, the disqualification of drivers who disregard railroad grade crossing warnings from driving commercial motor vehicles.
Fifth, aggressively pursuing criminal or civil action, where warranted.
To help the people on the front lines, we have amended our FY 2000 budget request to Congress for an appropriation of $55 million more than requested by the Administration earlier this year.
Our department-wide action plan uses the resources of not only the Federal Highway Administration but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Federal Railroad Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, the Research and Special Programs Administration and the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. I have, therefore, asked Assistant Secretary for Policy Gene Conti to coordinate and integrate the work of all these agencies on commercial motor vehicle safety.
Let me address the issue of the Office of Motor Carriers. Inspector General Ken Mead, in testimony he gave to the Senate Commerce Committee on April 27, said, "The two most viable and practical options are leaving the motor carrier safety function in the Highway Administration or creating a Motor Carrier Safety Administration dedicated to motor carrier safety."
The Inspector General has made important, valuable recommendations and we are continuing to pay careful attention to them.
But, when our goal is safety, the heart of the matter lies in the actions we will take and the results we deliver, and not just in rearranging the organizational boxes.
The action plan we are announcing today will provide the dedicated DOT team with additional tools and resources to do the job even better.
I continue to be open to ideas on how to improve the Department’s performance. I have received numerous recommendations from many different sources on the Office of Motor Carriers. Some of these may have some merit while others may not. The Department will continue to review these options based on their merit.
Today is a time for action, for us to move forward to reduce significantly the deaths and injuries from commercial motor vehicle crashes. We are committed to that goal because safety is a promise we must keep together.
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Source: U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)