The Bush Administration has gone to extraordinary lengths to allow truckers to stay behind the wheel—and on our roads—for longer periods of time.  Today, we will examine those misguided steps.

 

Despite two unanimous federal court decisions that ruled against the Administration’s proposals, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is going forward as if the court said nothing at all.

 

The Administration’s plan allows truckers to drive for 30 percent longer each week, putting families at higher risk of an accident involving a tired truck driver.

 

That is unacceptable, especially when you consider the volume of trucks on the road.

 

One out of every 30 vehicles on the road is a large truck.

 

And last year, one out of every nine fatal crashes involved one of these trucks.

 

When our loved-ones drive to work—or drive their children to school—we hope and expect that professional truck drivers are alert and well-rested.

 

But too often, we find out too late that a driver has been on the road too long—either when an inspection is made, or in a post-crash investigation.

 

We know that fatigue is a cause of many of these crashes, but drivers rarely admit that they were too tired to drive.

 

The biggest problem is that truck driving time limits—called ‘hours of service’ rules—are seldom enforced.  In effect, drivers can drive as long as they want, putting their safety and the safety of others on the road at risk.

 

We have technology to enforce hours of service rules and keep people safe.

 

But the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration—the nation’s top truck safety agency—has failed to require it and instead continues to allow truckers to drive for longer and longer periods of time.

 

The Bush Administration’s indifference to enforcing trucker driving limits for truckers is bad enough.

 

But, even more shameful than not enforcing the laws on the books, is the Administration’s effort to make current law less safe for motorists.

 

The FMCSA wants to allow truck drivers to be on the road for up to 11 hours straight and to work up to 77 hours per week.

 

Not only is it patently unsafe to increase these hours, but we understand the agency ignored the science behind fatigue and cherry-picked studies they liked in order to support their position.

 

I understand the safety data DOT used to demonstrate that driving in the eleventh hour is safe was compiled when ten hours was the legal limit.

 

That’s absurd.

 

The idea that operating an 80,000-pound truck at 65 m.p.h. for 11 hours at a time is safe simply defies common sense.

 

Using that logic, maybe we could get to zero accidents if we drive 15 hours.

 

This endeavor may benefit trucking companies, but it hurts everyone else on the road.

 

I believe the Administration’s proposed rule is a sham—and so do our courts.  They have said so twice.

 

Since the Administration has refused to listen—giving us reason to question their priorities and commitment to safety—it is time for Congress to get involved.

 

Over the past decade, 5,000 men, women and children have died in truck-related crashed each year.

 

In 2006, 805 of those victims have been truck drivers themselves.

 

It is time for us to make our roads safer, for families and truck drivers alike.

 

I look forward to hearing testimony today from the FMCSA, as well as from industry representatives and members of the trucking safety community.