Government Working To Make Harsher Restrictions On English Law For Truckers
Federal law requires that someone who has a commercial drivers license must be able to speak English so that they are able to converse with police. Those unable to comply with this law can face a $500 fine. Last year police issued 25,230 tickets around the nation. This year the federal government is trying to make sure that this law is improved upon due to important safety reasons.
Most states let truckers and bus drivers take at least part of their license tests in languages other than English. But the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has proposed rules requiring anyone applying for a commercial drivers license to speak English during their road test and vehicle inspection. The agency wants to change its rules to eliminate the use of interpreters, and congressional approval isn’t required.
Drivers could still take written tests in other languages in states where that is allowed, and they wouldn’t have to be completely fluent during the road test, said Bill Quade, an associate administrator with the agency.
“Our requirement is that drivers understand English well enough to respond to a roadside officer and to be able to converse,” said Quade, who heads enforcement. Drivers need to be able to communicate with authorities about their loads and their vehicles, he said. 17 percent of drivers are Spanish
A handful of states and organizations are supporting the change, and no one opposed the new rule in comments submitted to the agency.
The rule change, which Quade said would likely take effect next year, could particularly affect the nation’s fast-growing Spanish-speaking population. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated last year that more than 17 percent of the nation’s 3.4 million truck drivers were Hispanic, as were more than 11 percent of its 578,000 bus drivers. It’s unknown how many speak both Spanish and English.
The issue of English-speaking drivers also could become larger if the Bush administration succeeds with efforts to make it easier for trucks to enter the United States from Mexico. Trucks already are allowed to enter border areas under a pilot program.