Bill Text: NJ AR155 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to adopt proposed rules concerning use of electronic logging devices by certain commercial motor vehicle drivers.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-09-18 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee [AR155 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-AR155-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman REED GUSCIORA
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
SYNOPSIS
Urges Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to adopt proposed rules concerning use of electronic logging devices by certain commercial motor vehicle drivers.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Assembly Resolution urging the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to adopt proposed rules concerning the use of electronic logging devices by certain commercial motor vehicle drivers.
Whereas, According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, each year more than 5,000 people are killed and more than 13,000 people are injured in crashes involving commercial motor vehicles; and
Whereas, The Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety cite a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration statistic that more than 750 people are killed and more than 20,000 are injured as a result of commercial motor vehicle drivers being fatigued behind the wheel; and
Whereas, In 1990, a National Transportation Safety Board study of heavy-truck accidents in which the truck driver died concluded that fatigue played a role in 31 percent of the accidents, causing more deaths than alcohol or drugs; and
Whereas, To address the real danger posed by fatigued commercial motor vehicle drivers, the United States Department of Transportation (department) has imposed hours-of-service regulations which specify the number of hours a driver is allowed to be behind-the-wheel before being required to rest; and
Whereas, On March 28, 2014, the department issued proposed rules that would require certain commercial motor vehicles to use electronic logging devices, rather than paper logs, to increase compliance with these hours-of-service rules since paper logs are easy to manipulate and difficult for law enforcement officials to verify; and
Whereas, The use of electronic logging devices will increase the safety of roadways in this State and the nation, and it is therefore fitting and proper for this House to urge the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to adopt its proposed rules concerning electronic logging devices in commercial motor vehicles; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This House respectfully urges the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in the United States Department of Transportation to adopt the proposed rules it issued on March 28, 2014 concerning the use of electronic logging devices in commercial motor vehicles to improve enforcement of hours-of-service restrictions on commercial motor vehicle drivers.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly to the Administrator and Deputy Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the State Commissioner of Transportation, and to every member of Congress elected from this State.
STATEMENT
This Assembly resolution urges the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) in the United States Department of Transportation (department) to adopt the proposed rules it issued on March 28, 2014, concerning the use of electronic logging devices in commercial motor vehicles to improve enforcement of hours-of-service restrictions on commercial motor vehicle drivers.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, each year more than 5,000 people are killed and more than 13,000 people are injured in crashes involving commercial motor vehicles. The Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety cite a FMCSA statistic that more than 750 people are killed and more than 20,000 are injured as a result of commercial motor vehicle drivers being fatigued behind the wheel.
To address the real danger posed by fatigued commercial motor vehicle drivers, the department has imposed hours-of-service regulations which specify the number of hours a driver is allowed to be behind-the-wheel before being required to rest.
