BIG WHEELS

It is noted that qualified truck drivers at the wheel are one of the most important factors in highway safety, and that low pay, longer working hours, and strict traffic laws are contributing to a high turnover among truck drivers. Driving schools and trucking companies are gearing efforts to recruit new drivers. New drivers lack experience, and young drivers have 5 times the risk of fatal accident involvement. Just-in-time shipping practices have also added to the problem. An encouraging development is the creation of the commercial driver's license (CDL). A truck driver will have to pass a written test to drive a truck weighing more than 26,000 pounds. CDLs will be part of the new Commercial Driver's License Information System which wil record infractions. There also appears to be a trend toward certifying truck-driving schools and formal training of new drivers.

• Corporate Authors:

  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Frisbie, T
• Publication Date: 1990-7

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 14-17
• Serial:
  • Traffic Safety (Washington)
  • Volume: 90
  • Issue Number: 4
  • Publisher: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Adolescents; Driver licensing; Driver training; Drivers; Highway safety; Teenage drivers; Truck drivers
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I80: Accident Studies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00497544
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Sep 30 1990 12:00AM