2002 Press Releases
2002
FMCSA Administrator Decides to Return to Retirement; NHTSA Deputy Administrator appointed to FMCSA Deputy Position
Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta announced that FMCSA Administrator Joseph Clapp has decided to return to retirement before the end of the year. Secretary Mineta said, "Joe Clapp has been an outstanding member of our team at DOT. …he brought considerable private-sector experience to bear on a number of key issues facing the industry at a critical time in our Nation's history, and I am deeply grateful for his contributions. I truly appreciate the service Joe has so generously given the country, and while we will miss his counsel, I know he is looking forward to resuming the retirement he was enjoying before his call to service."
Secretary Mineta also announced that Annette M. Sandberg, who has served as Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration since February 11, 2002, is now FMCSA's Deputy Administrator. In announcing her appointment, Secretary Mineta said: "Annette Sandberg brings vast experience and savvy to a job that will continue to be challenging. The leadership she demonstrated in NHTSA helped improve highway safety in this country and now we are asking her to help reduce truck-related fatalities."
Sandberg is a nationally recognized expert on law enforcement and traffic safety. She was chief of the Washington State Patrol for six years and spent more than 17 years in law enforcement, supervisory and administrative posts — some of which included responsibility for commercial vehicle safety — with the Washington State Patrol.
Sandberg. has a law degree from the University of Puget Sound School of Law and earned an MBA from City University, Bellevue, WA, graduating magna cum laude.
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance takes this opportunity to thank Joseph Clapp for his dedication to commercial motor vehicle safety as FMCSA Administrator and throughout his many years in the trucking industry. We wish him a long and happy retirement. We also take this opportunity to welcome Annette Sandberg to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. We look forward to working with her in the pursuit of safety on North America's highways.
2002
Stricter Rules For Entering Trucking Industry Effective January 1, 2003
Beginning January 1, all motor carriers applying for operating interstate operating authority (private and for-hire) must prove they're knowledgeable about federal motor carrier safety regulations before being issued a USDOT number.
Applicants must demonstrate their knowledge of safety regulations by completing an application process and undergoing an onsite safety audit within the first 18-months of operation before receiving permanent operating authority. New entrants must certify that they will comply with applicable requirements covering driver qualifications, hours of service, controlled substance and alcohol testing, vehicle condition, accident monitoring and hazardous materials transportation. Carriers that fail to demonstrate basic safety management controls during the 18-month period will be denied permanent operating authority.
New entrant applications can be completed online at www.fmcsa.dot.gov. New applicants also can call 800-832-5660 to receive an application by mail. Additional information about the new rules is available at www.fmcsa.dot.gov. Carriers can also obtain an educational and technical assistance package by calling J.J. Keller at 800-327-6868.
2002
CVSA Celebrates the Second Annual "Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day"
Motor vehicle crashes are a greater threat to life and limb in the United States than murder. In 1999, there was one murder every 34 minutes while there was one traffic-related fatality every 13 minutes. Every day motor vehicle crashes cause an average of 114 fatalities, totaling more than 41,500 over the course of a year. Approximately 5,100 of these deaths occur in crashes involving commercial vehicles — an unacceptable number.
The second annual Put The Brakes On Fatalities Day is being celebrated today to encourage the public to take a greater stand in keeping themselves and their loved ones from becoming one of those statistics.
The goal is to unite the country in achieving one full day of zero traffic deaths by encouraging safer behavior and actions and by promoting safer roadways.
The good news is that by taking pro-active steps, the public can greatly reduce the odds of becoming a statistic. "First and foremost, drive as if your life depends on it," said Lt. Paul Sullivan of the Massachusetts State Police and CVSA President. "Driving defensively, being especially careful around commercial vehicles, obeying the posted speed limits, slowing down in bad weather and in special construction and school zones and not drinking and driving are just a few examples of how drivers can reduce their chances of being in a crash." Other important safety practices include staying out of the No Zone around commercial vehicles, buckling up every time on every trip, using appropriate child safety seats, wearing a helmet when cycling or skating and crossing the street in crosswalks.
October was selected for the new safety observance because it is among the peak months for traffic fatalities. In fact, October 9 was the most dangerous day of the year to be on the road in 1999: 207 people died in traffic crashes according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. February 22 was the safest day to be on the road that year: 50 were killed in motor vehicle crashes.
