New legislation proposed in the Golden State targets logbooks, over-long trucks and driver turnover in an effort to improve truck safety.

The bills attempt to bolster drug and alcohol testing for commercial drivers, prevent drivers from falsifying log books, and one measure, approved Tuesday by the Senate, looks to keep the biggest trucks from using narrow highways along the coast and mountain ranges.
On Tuesday, Sen. Betty Karnette, (D-Long Beach), held a news conference on her bill, which would prohibit the largest trucks from using the most narrow and windy highways in the state beginning in 2003. She said the legislation is based on an 11-year-old report from the California Department of Transportation that said near one quarter of the state's highway system was unfit for the longest trucks.
The California Trucking Association calls the bill "too simplistic," reports the Sacramento Bee.
CTA also opposes a bill sponsored by Sen. Jackie Speier, (D-Hillsborough), that calls for on-board recorders to track hours of service. The bill is designed to crack down on logbook violations and applies only to trucks registered in California.
Another bill requires trucking companies to report to the California Highway Patrol whenever they replace more than half their drivers within a 30-day period. Proponents say a law is needed to prevent carriers from putting new drivers on the road before completing drug and alcohol testing.