Summary
California, Washington, and New Mexico might lose federal funding if they do not enforce English language requirements for truck drivers, according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. These rules, which require truckers to understand road signs and communicate in English, were established after a deadly crash in Florida involving a driver who failed to comply with these standards. The Transportation Department has found that these states have had numerous safety inspections but have often not enforced the English language rule.
Key Facts
- California, Washington, and New Mexico face potential loss of federal funding if they don't enforce English language rules for truckers.
- The rules require truck drivers to understand road signs and communicate with authorities in English.
- An investigation after a Florida crash found failures in enforcing these language rules.
- The Florida crash involved a foreign truck driver making an illegal U-turn, resulting in three deaths.
- Since implementing the language rules, California found many safety violations but seldom enforced English proficiency.
- Washington identified over 6,000 safety violations but pulled only four drivers for language issues.
- New Mexico has not removed any drivers for English language violations since the rules were established.
- The states risk losing millions from the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program if they do not comply within 30 days.
