On behalf of Smiley & Smiley, LLP posted in Car Accidents on Thursday, October 4, 2012.
Crosswalk culture and road safety are issues that most New Yorkers take seriously. Particularly, the prevalence of truck accidents on New York's busy streets is something that safety advocates are working diligently to reduce.
As a result of these efforts, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently raised its standards for interstate bus and truck company operation through the Fit, Willing and Able program. Several extra precautionary measures must now be taken before state and federal agencies may grant, withhold, revoke or suspend the operating licenses of truck companies.
The FMCSA is responsible for evaluating the safety operations of motor carriers, brokers and freight forwarders. During the continual evaluation process, motor carriers must comply with various safety standards and regulations in order to gain and maintain operating authority registration. The history of the applicant is then tracked by FMCSA to discover any previous safety violations on the carrier's part.
The FMCSA will review these factors and determine how they may affect the safety of future operations. Failure to submit all necessary requirements within the given timeframe may result in revocation or suspension of the truck companies' operations.
The new program will hopefully reduce the prevalence of truck accidents on the road, as both drivers and employers will have to take increasingly significant precautions in order to achieve and maintain a clean safety record. By making safety evaluations more challenging to pass, commercial carriers will have to stay on top of their safety knowledge and practices for the benefit of their business and motorists everywhere.
Source: School Transportation News, "FMCSA unveils new 'fitness' test for granting revoking commercial operating authority," Ryan Gray, Aug. 8, 2012
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