Trucker-safety bill would expand use of technology

Washington – Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) has introduced legislation that would require sweeping safety measures for commercial motor vehicles.

Booker sponsored the Truck Safety Act (S. 1739) on July 9. The bill was assigned to the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, where it remained at press time. Booker is the ranking member of the Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security Subcommittee, which oversees truck safety as part of its jurisdiction.

If approved, the legislation would address several safety-related topics, including:

• Require rulemaking for collision avoidance systems in CMVs.
• Finalize regulations to equip CMVs with speed-limiting devices.
• Establish a study on the effects of excessive commuting on CMV operators.
• Mandate employers to pay drivers for hours worked, not based on miles driven.
• Double the required insurance minimums for CMVs from $750,000 to $1.5 million.

“Truck drivers work extremely long days to deliver the goods we depend on and keep our economy moving, but too often this comes at the expense of their safety and the safety of others,” Booker said in a press release. “The Truck Safety Act will protect all drivers and make our nation’s highways safer.”