You might soon be seeing trucks from Mexico traveling on U.S. roads.
Under NAFTA, the Bush Administration has opened the borders to trucks from that country.
72 Mexico- domiciled trucks are now in the U.S. under a pilot project and 45 other carriers have been notified they passed a pre- authorization safety audit.
Big rigs on our roads are scary enough for driver of passenger cars and result in 5,000 deaths every year.
But the Department of Transportation (DOT) relies on statements of safety from the Mexico based carriers. There is no reliable way to verify the age of such big-rigs and whether they carry adequate insurance to cover American citizens.
Mexico does not require drug testing at certified facilities for drivers. And the U.S. DOT cannot verify or enforce the hours of service caps for drivers on the road.
Public Citizen, the Teamsters and other safety groups are argued against the pilot program in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit that there are numerous violations of congressional mandates to ensure safety.
A ruling should come soon. In the meantime, the trucks will keep on rolling. Visit the large truck section of our website to find out more about your rights on the road or visit us at Farah and Farah. Our experienced accident attorneys will help you get your life back in order.
