UPDATE: P.A.T.T. and CRASH Score Huge Victory in Truck Safety
U.S. DOT Agrees to Issue Long-Overdue Truck Safety Rules

Dear Truck Safety Supporter,

Last November, P.A.T.T. and CRASH filed a lawsuit with the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C. because the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) failed to meet congressional deadlines for addressing and issuing safety rules. We are proud to announce that the DOT has entered into a settlement agreement to issue a series of vital truck safety rules mandated by Congress, some of which are 10 years overdue.

We all know that precious lives have been lost while the DOT delayed and disregarded directives from Congress to act on important life-saving truck safety rules. Finally, after years of perseverance and hard work, progress is being made. Unfortunately, it took a lawsuit to compel the agency to do its job – protect the public’s safety. It took truck safety advocates filing a lawsuit to compel the federal agency to do its job – protect the safety of the motoring public.

In addition to P.A.T.T. and CRASH, Daphne Izer (Founder and Co-Chair of P.A.T.T.), Jennifer Tierney and Tami Friedrich (Survivors Network Volunteers for CRASH) filed as individual plaintiffs in order to strengthen our claim that safety must come before the political interests and economic gains of the trucking industry.

As you may know, P.A.T.T. and CRASH joined forces in March 2002 to create the Truck Safety Coalition and both organizations relocated to Washington, D.C. Our goal is simple — to combine resources and energies to bring the voices of truck crash victims and safety advocates to our nation’s capital. It is critical to our cause to position ourselves where decisions are made by Members of Congress and federal government officials on a wide range of truck safety issues. Collective and collaborative efforts, as shown by this lawsuit, illustrate that working together we can all save lives.

Under the agreement the U.S. DOT will issue final rules pertaining to:

• Truck driver fatigue and required rest periods, hours-of-service and other fatigue-related issues. The DOT estimates that 755 fatalities and 19,705 injuries result from fatigued drivers each year on U.S. roads, but the agency is now nearly four years late in issuing the rule. The DOT has agreed to issue this rule no later than May 31, 2003.
• Minimum training standards for entry-level drivers of commercial motor vehicles. Congress required DOT to issue a final rule by Dec. 18, 1993, more than 10 years ago. DOT has promised to issue a final rule by May 31, 2004.
• Minimum training requirements for drivers of longer-combination vehicles (multi-trailer rigs). Congress had set a Dec. 18, 1993, deadline for a final rule. DOT has agreed to issue a rule no later than March 30, 2004.
• Requirements for authorization to transport hazardous materials. The DOT is more than 11 years late in issuing this rule, which has security implications highlighted by the 2001 terrorist attacks. The agency has promised to issue this rule by June 30, 2004.
• Background checks for new commercial drivers, including what information prospective employers are required to obtain and what information prior employers are required to provide. This rule is now four years late. DOT has agreed to issue this rule no later than March 30, 2004.

The success of this lawsuit reveals the critical need for P.A.T.T. and CRASH to be involved in the public policy debate in Congress, the Executive Branch and the Judiciary. Special interests advancing the trucking industry agenda would like nothing better than to silence the voice of victims and safety advocates in the public debate. We are here to ensure this never happens! Our success depends on your continued commitment to make truck safety a priority. It is only through your gifts of time and money that P.A.T.T. and CRASH can continue to effect positive change. Let’s celebrate and cheer this significant victory.

Here is a copy of the settlement agreement.

View the lawsuit here.

To be removed from P.A.T.T.’s E-mail update list, please contact us at PATT@patt.org

For more information, please contact Parents Against Tired Truckers at:

P.A.T.T.
PO Box 14380
Washington, DC 20044-4380
(888) 353-4572

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