The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has agreed to issue a series of truck safety rules to settle a lawsuit brought by safety advocates last fall.

The agency, which safety advocates said failed to meet congressional deadlines for issuing the safety rules, has now agreed to issue the rules within the next year and a half.
The first such ruling will concern drivers’ hours of service and is expected to be issued this spring.
Other rules relate to such issues as hazardous materials, background checks for drivers and training requirements for multi-trailer rigs.
Safety advocates filed suit in November 2002 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia because DOT had missed deadlines set by Congress to address safety issues by as much as 10 years. The groups who sued are Public Citizen, Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways (CRASH), Parents Against Tired Truckers (PATT) and Teamsters for a Democratic Union.
Under the agreement, DOT has agreed to issue final rules pertaining to:
-- Truck driver fatigue and required rest periods, hours-of-service and other fatigue-related issues. The DOT estimates that 755 fatalities and 19,705 injuries result from fatigued drivers each year on U.S. roads. The DOT has agreed to issue this rule no later than May 31, 2003.
-- Minimum training standards for entry-level drivers of commercial motor vehicles. Congress required DOT to issue a final rule by Dec. 18, 1993, more than 10 years ago. DOT has promised to issue a final rule by May 31, 2004.
-- Minimum training requirements for drivers of longer-combination vehicles (multi-trailer rigs). Congress had set a Dec. 18, 1993, deadline for a final rule. DOT has agreed to issue a rule no later than March 30, 2004.
-- Requirements for authorization to transport hazardous materials. The DOT is more than 11 years late in issuing this rule, which has security implications highlighted by the 2001 terrorist attacks. The agency has promised to issue this rule by June 30, 2004.
-- Background checks for new commercial drivers, including what information prospective employers are required to obtain and what information prior employers are required to provide. DOT has agreed to issue the rule no later than March 30, 2004.
The groups said they will partially stay their lawsuit pending DOT’s rulemaking proceedings.