From: Nigel.Allen@lambada.oit.unc.edu
Subject: Dangerous Truck Safety Proposals
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: ?
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 19:55:47 GMT

Here is a press release from Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways.
 Former U.S. Highway and Safety Heads to Protest Bush
Administration's Dangerous Truck Safety Proposals
 To: National and Assignment Desks, Daybook Editor
 Contact: Bill Bronrott, 301-652-6016, for Citizens for Reliable and
          Safe Highways

 News Advisory:

 Subject:

   * Trucking "Competitiveness" vs. Public Safety in Battle Over the
Administration's Inhumane Plan to Increase Driver Hours-on-the-Road

   * Driver Fatigue Leading Cause of Fatal Truck Crashes, Safety
Advocates Warn, as "Truth Squad" Prepares to Counter Trucking Lobby's
"National Rest-and-Recovery Day" Gimmick
 What:  News Conference

 When:  Wednesday, Oct. 14
        10 a.m.

 Where: Outside U.S. Department of Transportation headquarters
        6th Street, S.W., near E Street
        Washington, D.C.

 Who: Citizens For Reliable and Safe Highways (CRASH)

   * John Hassell, CRASH board member; former administrator,
     Federal Highway Administration ('79-'80).

   * Joan Claybrook, CRASH co-chair; former administrator,
     National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ('77-'81).

   * Gerald Donaldson, Ph.D., CRASH co-chair and one of the nation's
     leading experts on truck safety.

   * Bruce Durbrow, a Connecticut father whose 20-year-old son Dean
     was killed last year in an Arizona crash caused by a fatigued
     truck driver who was behind the wheel for over 12 hours.

   * Jack Thomas, a former truck driver from the Chicago area who
     strongly opposes any increase in trucker hours-of-service.

   Current federal regulations allow a maximum of 15 hours active
on-duty time each day with no more than 10 of those actually driving.
after 60 hours of driving in seven days or 70 hours in eight days, a
three-day rest period is currently required.
   In spite of the fact that truck driver fatigue is the leading
cause of fatal truck crashes, the U.S. Department of Transportation
(DOT) has proposed a new regulation for truckers to drive as much as
100 hours over eight days with only a single 24-hour rest period
before starting over.
   The public has until Nov. 4 to respond to the U.S. DOT plan to
boost truck driver hours-of-service.  CRASH is mounting a nationwide
grassroots letter-writing campaign to call on the administration to
abandon this dangerous policy proposal.
   CRASH's news conference will counter the American Trucking
Association's "National Rest-and-Recovery Day" promotion.  On Oct. 14
the trucking lobby will carry out so-called "petition drives" at
truckstops across the country to back the administration's proposal.
   CRASH also will detail the administration's other dangerous
regulatory changes to wipe out or weaken important truck safety
regulations.  These include efforts to:
   -- reduce trucker vision and hearing safety standards;
   -- allow insulin-dependent diabetics to drive commercial motor
vehicles in interstate commerce; and,
   -- remove all federal safety control over interstate movement of
commercial vehicles under 26,000 pounds.
   U.S. DOT Secretary Andrew Card has pledged safety as his highest
priority.  CRASH officials will challenge Card to honor this pledge.
   A b-roll video package will be available for TV outlets.

 -30-


Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive