Trump order prompts FMCSA to delay driver training regulation

South Carolina residents may be aware that President Donald Trump has been quite active since taking the oath of office on Jan. 20. One of his first actions as president was ordering federal agencies to not implement any new regulations for 60 days. Trump has promised to cut red tape and reign in government bureaucracy, and he says that he needs time to review pending regulations to determine whether or not they are truly necessary.

A regulation concerning commercial vehicle driver training was scheduled to go into effect on Feb. 6, but the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has announced that its implementation has been delayed due to the White House memorandum. While the scope of the regulation is fairly narrow, the FMCSA says that further delays are possible if either President Trump or senior members of his White House team have concerns or raise objections.

Even delays longer than 60 days are not likely to affect road users because the Minimum Training Requirements for Entry-Level Commercial Vehicle Operators rule will only apply to individuals who are granted commercial driver’s licenses on or after Feb. 7, 2020. The FMCSA says that this date will not be changed despite the Trump memorandum. Road safety advocates are more likely to be concerned over the actual provisions of the rule, which sets a core classroom study curriculum but does not require truck drivers to undergo a specific number of hours of behind-the-wheel training.

Personal injury attorneys familiar with the debilitating injuries that truck accidents often cause will likely support any measure designed to improve the skills of commercial vehicle drivers. Many of the accidents involving trucks or buses are caused by drivers who were intoxicated, distracted or fatigued at the time, and lawyers representing the accident victims who sustained injuries as a result may seek to hold them financially responsible for their reckless behavior.