Concern Sparked over Plan to Allow Mexican Trucks on U.S. Highways
By Daniel Hawn
Published on March 08, 2007
While proponents of the program cite the potential economic benefits of freer trade, critics are concerned that poorly maintained vehicles might create hazards on the road.
Under the program, trucks from 100 Mexican companies will be authorized to carry goods throughout the United States, and 100 U.S. companies will be allowed to send their vehicles throughout Mexico. Currently, trucks from each country are prohibited from traveling outside a 25-mile commercial zone on the other side of the border.
Critics of the program are concerned that Mexican trucks are poorly constructed, regulated, and maintained, and that the government agencies responsible for overseeing commercial vehicle safety in the U.S. are unprepared to deal with the influx.
Supporters of the new program, however, cite statistics from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to show that Mexican trucks are no more dangerous than American trucks. In 2006, the federal safety administration, which is responsible for checking vehicles from both countries that operate in the U.S., checked 210,000 of the estimated 4.8 million commercial vehicles that crossed the border. Twenty-three percent of the American vehicles checked were deemed unsafe, compared to 21 percent from Mexico.
Opponents of the plan argue that before Mexican trucks are allowed on U.S. highways, the American trucking industry should improve regulation of its own vehicles. These critics say that only a very small number of U.S. trucks are actually inspected and that only about 1 percent of all interstate commercial transit companies undergo federal safety evaluations each year.
Keyword Tags: