Texas Truck Accident Attorney

Motor Carrier Safety Act of 1999

The Motor Carrier Safety Act of 1999 was passed by Congress to improve the safety of the nation's roads. It recognizes, in its opening lines, that driver error is a cause of many truck accidents.

Section One of the Act changes proceedings for acquiring a Commercial Motor Vehicle driver's license. It increases the minimum requirements for knowledge to gain a commercial drivers license. Drivers of specialized vehicles have their requirements raised more than those of general commercial motor vehicles (CMV). These changes are to ensure that drivers a) receive instruction on matters such as basic control maneuvers, speed management principles, space management principles, and extreme driving conditions; and b) have experience in driving CMVs while under the supervision of an experienced driver, like a driver's education program that children go through before they can have their license. While knowledge and skills were tested under the old CDL program, instruction and experience are stressed as an integral component in developing safe CMV drivers.

Section One also requires that states keep on record any and all moving traffic violations, including those committed in non-commercial vehicles. Also, CDLs are not available to be issued to anyone that has had a drug or alcohol related conviction in the past three years. These two provisions are intended to remove individuals with a history of risky behavior from operation of large vehicles.

The last subsection of Section One removes funds from States that do not comply with the CDL program. The funds are diverted to the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program.

Despite the best efforts of Congress, accidents involving 18-wheelers still occur across the country and with an alarmingly high frequency in Texas. If you or someone you know has been injured in a commercial truck accident, contact a Texas Truck Accident attorney at Williams Kherkher at 1-800-220-9341 to discuss your legal options and to schedule an initial consultation.