“Runaway Truck Ramp Ahead.”
“Sharp Curve – Reduce Speed.”
“Dangerous Crosswinds.”
These aren’t just helpful suggestions. They’re critical safety warnings – especially for truck drivers behind the wheel of 80,000-pound vehicles. But what happens when those drivers can’t read them?
This isn’t a theoretical question. In 2019, a tragic crash on Interstate 70 near Lakewood, Colo., claimed four lives. The truck driver – traveling down a steep mountain pass – missed multiple warning signs, including one for a runaway truck ramp. He later admitted he couldn’t understand the signs because he didn’t read English.
That crash was a gut-wrenching reminder that English proficiency behind the wheel is not a box-checking exercise. It’s a matter of life and death.
Truck drivers who cannot comprehend critical signage, respond to law enforcement and first responders or fill out essential paperwork simply should not be operating 80,000-pound vehicles on U.S. roads. This isn’t punitive – it’s commonsense safety.
Earlier this year, OOIDA formally petitioned the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) to return lack of English proficiency to the list of violations that can take a driver off the road.
Due in large part to OOIDA’s advocacy efforts, the Trump administration made the decision to restore English proficiency as a basic safety requirement for truck drivers.
Thanks to an executive order signed by President Donald Trump and a subsequent CVSA policy change, drivers who cannot understand critical road signage or communicate with law enforcement and first responders will once again be placed out of service. We’re grateful our call was heard.
But this moment is about more than a regulatory correction – it’s about ensuring every driver, in every vehicle, is safe on our roads. It’s a victory for public safety and common sense after years of regulatory backsliding.
In 2015, CVSA dropped English proficiency as an out-of-service violation. A year later, federal regulators at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued guidance that weakened enforcement even further.
These policy changes led to a significant decline in enforcement. In 2014, there were over 100,000 English proficiency violations resulting in the removal of over 4,000 unsafe truck drivers from the roadways. Lack of English proficiency was the second-most frequent violation reported by law enforcement. Because CVSA and FMCSA systematically removed the teeth from enforcement, violations plummeted to just over 11,000 in 2024, with no out-of-service orders issued.
These safety violations did not disappear. They were simply not tracked and enforced.
But this is not about politics. And it’s certainly not about punishing anyone for where they’re from.
It’s about the ability to read a sign that says, “Bridge Out,” “Low Clearance” or “Do Not Enter.” It’s about making sure truckers can respond to law enforcement and first responders, navigate emergencies and protect the families driving beside them.
English proficiency is not optional – it’s essential for keeping America’s roads safe for the entire traveling public. LL
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