The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“TRANSFERRING THE OFFICE OF MOTOR CARRIERS” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E2246-E2248 on Oct. 20, 1998.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
TRANSFERRING THE OFFICE OF MOTOR CARRIERS
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HON. FRANK R. WOLF
of virginia
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, October 20, 1998
Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring to the attention of the House an important development in the safety of our nation's highways: transferring the Office of Motor Carriers (OMC) from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Mr. Speaker, as the members of the body know, the Office of Motor Carriers monitors an important component of our country's economy: the trucking industry. Not only does OMC monitor and enforce compliance with rules, regulations, and laws, it is expected to improve the safety of trucks that share the road with passenger vehicles.
After learning alarming statistics about truck safety violations and truck accident rates, the House transportation appropriations subcommittee included a provision in the FY 1999 Department of Transportation appropriations legislation to transfer OMC to NHTSA. Our Senate colleagues agreed. That office transfer, in my opinion, is not only bold, but necessary. It will save lives.
Now, we see, though, that the trucking industry lobby convinced some in Congress to strike the transfer provision from the omnibus appropriations legislation, which includes the transportation spending bill. I am extremely disappointed that the OMC provision has been dropped.
I understand that assurances have been given that comprehensive hearings to investigate truck safety will be held early next year on this critical safety issue in both the House and Senate authorizing committees. I pledge, too, that the House transportation appropriations subcommittee will not let this matter drop. We will also hold hearings on highway and truck safety and how the mission of OMC could be enhanced by transferring the office to NHTSA.
In addition, because the issue of truck safety is literally one of life and death, I have written the Inspector General at the Department of Transportation and the General Accounting Office asking that both investigate the truck safety issue. Copies of those letters are submitted for the record. I continue to believe that the Office of Motor Carriers should be transferred to the nation's top highway traffic safety office, and our colleagues should know that this matter will continue to be at the top of our agenda.
With regard to the trucking industry, there can be no higher priority than improving safety. However, it is not clear that the industry believes safety is its number one priority. Let me share some alarming statistics with you:
Commercial trucks represent just 3 percent of all registered vehicles in the United States, but they were involved in 13 percent of the total traffic fatalities in 1997.
Over the past ten years, the fatal accident rate for all vehicles has been declining. However, commercial motor vehicle accidents, fatalities, and fatality rates are increasing. Last year 5,335 people died on U.S. roads in accidents involving heavy trucks. The national figure reflects a 4.5-percent increase in truck-related deaths from the prior year and is this decade's highest one-year tally so far.
One out of eight traffic fatalities in 1997 resulted from a collision involving a large truck. Large trucks are more likely to be involved in fatal, multiple vehicle crashes.
Over the past eight years, the Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration has not been able to significantly reduce the number of commercial motor vehicles or drivers operating on our roadways that are not fit to be in service. One in five trucks is operating with mechanical defects so serious that the truck is legally not allowed to continue the trip until the problems are corrected. Eight percent of the drivers are placed out-of-service. Neither of these statistics has altered significantly since 1990.
In 1997, the Virginia State police conducted 42,256 motor carrier inspections. Of those trucks inspected, the state police found 25,221 defects (60 percent) and 19,861 drivers in violation (46 percent). I submit for the Record a report I received from the Virginia State Police with those alarming statistics.
The Department of Transportation's Inspector General (IG), in a review of the motor carrier safety program, concluded
that FHWA's enforcement efforts were not effective in inducing prompt and sustained compliance with regulations and safe on-the-road performance. Seventy five percent of the carriers sampled did not sustain a satisfactory rating, and after a series of compliance reviews, 54 percent of the carriers had vehicle out-of-service rates from roadside inspections higher than the national average.
There is a growing concern that trucks are dangerous. I want to be clear, though, that I believe many in the trucking industry work hard to maintain safe trucks. To be sure, however, there are a number of trucks operating on the nation's highways which are unsafe and dangerous. This concern is worsened by the fact that most of the fatal injuries in trucking accidents are to the occupants of the other, typically smaller, vehicle. It is because of these concerns that I, as chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, recommended moving OMC from FHWA to NHTSA, because the functions of OMC are much more closely aligned with those of NHTSA. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as its name implies, is focused on safety.
Moving OMC to NHTSA would strengthen and consolidate the Department of Transportation vehicle safety programs. A single modal administration can provide a more consistent and synchronous safety program and agenda. An agency with a consolidated safety focus will see the entire safety picture rather than a system where one agency looks at truck safety and another looks at passenger care safety, as is currently in place. After all, trucks and cars share the same roads.
With the striking of the OMC transfer provision, I believe, safety will be diminished and lives will be lost. More accidents will occur like the one last month in Knoxville, Tennessee. According to the accident report, a tractor-trailer came upon traffic stopped because of construction several miles ahead. The truck, running at almost 70 miles per hour, ran into the back of a sport utility vehicle, knocking it into a concrete barrier; sideswiped another tractor trailer while swerving into the right hand lane; and smashed into the back of a van, pushing it into the trailer of a third truck in front. The van immediately exploded. The lone occupant of the sport utility vehicle and the lone occupant of the van were killed immediately. None of the truck drivers were injured. This is emblematic of the fears most Americans hold for heavy trucks every day they are on the Nation's highways.
Knowing that information about trucks on our highways just increases my disappointment that the office transfer will not occur this year. My view that such a move will save lives is also shared by The Washington Post, which said in a September 19, 1998, editorial:
The office of motor carriers is responsible for truck safety requirements such as the length and weight of the vehicle and the time a trucker may drive; the logical home for this office is in the agency that deals with other vehicle safety issues.
The full editorial is submitted for the Record.
Our colleagues should also know I received a recent letter from an employee at OMC who said,
I just want you to know that you have a great deal of support from the actual workers within the Office of Motor Carriers. * * * [T]he average investigator completes 1 compliance review per month. Last year it was 2.5 compliance reviews per month and the year before it was more than five compliance reviews per month and so forth. * * * I think OMC should get moved to NHTSA. Clearly, nobody at the top within the FHWA recognizes the importance of compliance and enforcement. According to the impact assessment model developed within OMC, compliance reviews save lives. Why aren't we doing enough of these? * * *
Mr. Speaker, indeed, why aren't we doing enough? I pledge to our colleagues that we will focus our effort and energy next year to shining the spotlight on truck safety in America, and to finding the answer to that critical question.
House of Representatives,
Committee on Appropriations,
Washington, DC, October 20, 1998.Mr. Kenneth Mead,Inspector General, Department of Transportation, Washington,
DC.
Dear Mr. Mead: I am writing to request that the Inspector General (IG) update its 1997 audit report on the Motor Carrier Safety Program. On March 26, 1997, you concluded
``that FHWA's enforcement efforts were not effective in inducing prompt and sustained compliance with regulations and safe on-the-road performance. Seventy five percent of the carriers sampled did not sustain a satisfactory rating, and after a series of compliance reviews, 54 percent of the carriers had vehicle out-of-service rates from roadside inspections higher than the national average''.
I have received information from Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) employees who are concerned about the level of compliance and enforcement activities being conducted. This letter states that ``[T]he average investigator completes 1 compliance review per month. Last year, it was 2.5 compliance reviews per month, and the year before it was more than 5 compliance reviews per month''. Information our Subcommittee has obtained from the Federal Highway Administration confirms this decline. I am concerned that this is having a negative and growing impact on truck safety. Your investigation should address, but not be limited to, the following areas:
1. A review of the number of compliance reviews conducted by FHWA in fiscal years 1995, 1996, and 1997. As part of this investigation, the IG should determine whether or not FHWA has targeted poor performance carriers for these compliance reviews and what impact these reviews have had on the overall safety ratings of these carriers.
2. An analysis of the enforcement actions taken by FHWA to determine whether or not the enforcement program has been strengthened since your earlier audit.
3. A determination of the adequacy of the penalties assessed for continued noncompliance.
I would appreciate a briefing on this issue prior to our hearing on the Federal Highway Administration's 200 federal appropriations, which is tentatively scheduled for late February or early March, 1999. A report should follow shortly thereafter.
If you have any questions about this request, please contact Stephanie Gupta of the Subcommittee staff on (202) 225-2141.
Sincerely,
Frank R. Wolf,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Appropriations,
Washington, DC, October 20, 1998.Acting Comptroller General James Hinchman,General Accounting Office,Washington, DC
Dear Mr. Hinchman: There is a growing concern that trucks are dangerous. Currently, commercial trucks represent just 3 percent of all registered vehicles in the United States, but they are involved in 13 percent of the total traffic fatalities. Over the past ten years, the fatal accident rates for all vehicles have been declining; however, commercial motor vehicle accidents, fatalities, and fatality rates are increasing.
I am writing to request that the General Accounting Office conduct an investigation on the effectiveness of the Federal Highway Administration's motor carrier safety program in reducing truck accident and truck safety violations in the United States. This review should focus on trends since 1990.
I would appreciate a briefing on this issue prior to our hearing on the Federal Highway Administration's 2000 federal appropriations, which is tentatively scheduled for late February or early March. A report should be issued by June, 1999.
If you have any questions about this request, please contact Stephanie Gupta of the Subcommittee staff on (202) 225-2141
Sincerely,
Frank R. Wolf,
Chairman.
____
Commonwealth of Virginia,
Department of State Police,
Fairfax Station, VA, August 28, 1998.Hon. Frank R. Wolf,Herndon, VA.
Dear Congressman Wolf: On August 26, 1998, members of the Coalition for Safe Roads met with you at your Herndon office to discuss legislation relative to trucks with triple trailers using our highways. I was invited to attend, and spoke to you about the number of motor carrier checks our troopers had conducted during 1997.
During the meeting you expressed interest in the statistical information the Virginia Department of State Police had concerning motor carrier checks and the drivers and trucks/buses placed out-of-service. I have outlined below statistical information for both the entire State of Virginia during the calendar year of 1997:
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Inspection summary Statewide NOVA
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Inspections conducted........................... 42,256 13,915
Drivers in violation............................ 19,861 5,250
Defective vehicles.............................. 25,221 7,721
Drivers taken out-of-service.................... 3,627 1,034
Vehicles taken out-of-service................... 8,982 3,117
Out-of-service violations....................... 18,692 6,262
All other violations............................ 90,269 24,660
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The all other violations row above includes all deficiencies found, and an arrest, summons or warning was given.
I greatly appreciate the opportunity to speak with you about the issue of highway safety specifically as it relates to trucks and tractor-trailers. Your support for highway safety is most important in providing America's citizens a safe means of travel. If my staff or I can be of assistance to you, we may be contacted at 703-323-4500.
Thanks again.
Sincerely,
Donald P. Garrett,
Captain,
Division Seven Commander.
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[From the Washington Post, Sept. 19, 1998]
Road Safety--and Hill Pitfalls
A House-Senate Transportation appropriations conference is wrestling to resolve differences over two important highway safety issues that shouldn't even be in dispute: the identification of trucks carrying agricultural chemicals, and a proposal to consolidate federal highway safety responsibilities under a single agency best organized to do the job.
The battling over hazardous-materials warnings has to do with a federal requirement that, effective Oct. 1, trucks carrying agricultural chemicals such as fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides and insecticides must carry placards identifying the material on board and providing an emergency telephone number. Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.), chairman of the transportation appropriations subcommittee in the House, explains that the placards will provide emergency response teams with important information on the substances they are called upon to handle. For instance, a truck carrying topsoil should be handled quite differently from one transporting ammonium nitrate.
In the Senate bill, an exemption to the placard requirement has been granted for a number of states. Opponents claim the identification requirements burden farmers. It can't be much of a financial burden, through: Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, which supports the requirement, calculates the cost of 58 cents a placard. The lack of a placard advising rescue teams of what is on board could cost lives. Dozens of national and local firefighting units oppose any weakening of the provisions.
The second proposal involves more than a mere shift of boxes on federal agency flow charts. It would relocate the Transportation Department's Office of Motor Carriers--which oversees trucking laws--from the Federal Highway Administration to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which focuses on safety. The point: The office of motor carriers is responsible for truck safety requirements such as the length and weight of the vehicle and the time that a trucker may drive; the logical home for this office is in the agency that deals with other vehicle safety issues.
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