Passenger Vehicle Inspections - In Route Inspections

Federal legislation such as SAFETY-LEU, MAP-21 and the FAST Act have unduly hindered many jurisdictions’ ability to manage passenger vehicle inspection policies in a manner that meets stated objectives of crash reduction and removal of unsafe vehicles and drivers from the highway.

Ever changing and more restrictive federal guidelines cause enforcement jurisdictions to regularly revamp internal policies concerning passenger vehicle inspections. This particular segment of the transportation industry has been successfully rendered nearly un-inspectable in many instances despite comparative driver and vehicle OOS rates to other portions of the industry, all while being entrusted with the safety and well-being of several dozen human lives on every trip. Texas alone has had to modify its internal passenger vehicle inspection policy at least four times since 2007 at the threat of losing federal funding. Currently, passenger vehicle inspection guidelines are out of step with CVSA and member organization goals. It is time that passenger carriers be held to the same standards as the rest of the industry with some common sense accommodations that acknowledge the unique nature of their cargo.

It is requested that CVSA petition the U.S. Congress to loosen restrictions on the times and locations passenger carrying vehicles can be inspected. Passenger carrying vehicles should be subject to inspection at all times, just like other segments of the industry. Particularly, passenger carrying vehicles should be subject to inspection at inspection facilities with the understanding that they should be moved to the front of any line and that jurisdictions have contingency plans in place in the event a vehicle or driver be placed out-of-service.