Federal study questions truck safety oversight

By LAUREN GENTILE
Capital News Service
LANSING –Federal regulations to keep medically impaired commercial drivers off the road are not fully effective, according to a recent study by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). The GAO study uncovered 204 epileptic drivers after matching medical files with Social Security Administration disability files. ”Thirty-one of these drivers were involved in accidents, demonstrating a threat to public safety,” it reported. The GAO did not break down the statistics by state. Commercial drivers, such as those who operate buses and semi-trucks, are required to undergo regular medical exams, said Walter Heinritzi, executive director of the Michigan Trucking Association and a member of the Truck Safety Commission
“All truck drivers must pass a physical and each of their records must be kept on file with the driver or the motor carrier,” he said.