Truck Safety Inspections Must Drive Plan to Open Border
HOUSTON--July 25, 2001--AAA Texas is urging Congress to significantly increase the safety inspections of Mexico-origination trucks before allowing them unrestricted access to roads in Texas and the rest of the U.S. as provided under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).Currently, trucks based in Mexico are allowed to travel up to 20 miles inside the U.S. border. Under the administration's proposal, Mexico-origination trucks would be allowed unrestricted access for up to 18 months before audits and safety inspections of the owner's facilities, drivers and their practices would be conducted. With more than 1,200 miles of border, more than 70 percent of the truck traffic from Mexico will travel on Texas roads.
"Texas motorists are concerned about the safety of these trucks and their drivers," said Public and Government Affairs Manager Anne O'Ryan. "Until recently, Mexico had few safety or enforcement standards for the vehicles or the drivers." Department of Public Safety officials estimate that half of the short-haul trucks from Mexico don't meet U.S. safety standards. The U.S. Department of Transportation reports that more than 35 percent of trucks from Mexico were taken out of service for safety violations in 2000. That compares to 24 percent for U.S. trucks and 17 percent for trucks from Canada.
The U.S. Senate is debating a proposal that would require Mexico-origination trucks to meet the same U.S. safety standards as trucks from Canada. Many of AAA's suggestions are being considered in the proposal.
AAA has offered the following safety recommendations:
| -- | On-site safety audits at the company facility, prior to authorizing their trucks to cross the border |
| -- | Significant improvements in safety inspections at the border including enforcement of U.S. weight limits |
| -- | Adequate resources for enforcement throughout the U.S. |
| -- | Adequate and verifiable insurance on each vehicle |
| -- | Shared tracking of the company's truck and driver safety records between U.S. and Mexican authorities |
| -- | Enforcement of safety laws, including limiting the number of continuous hours spent driving |
"The safety of the motoring public should not be risked in the rush to meet an apparently arbitrary deadline," said O'Ryan. The Senate proposal is being debated this week for inclusion in the Department of Transportation Appropriations bill.
