English Language Requirement; Qualifications of Drivers
Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM); request for comments.
The FHWA is considering a revision to the requirement in 49 CFR 391.11(b)(2) of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) that drivers of commercial motor vehicles operated in interstate commerce be able to read and speak the English language sufficiently to converse with the general public, understand highway traffic signs and signals, respond to official inquiries, and make entries on reports and records. In the interests of safety and civil rights, the FHWA is attempting to reconcile its obligation to assure adequate communication on the part of commercial motor vehicle drivers with concerns of possible discrimination raised by the present rule.