English-only truckers?

July 18, 2008

Pop quiz time! Truck driver Manuel Castillo was fined $500 after being stopped by police because:

a) his license plates had expired

b) the onions he was hauling fell onto the road

c) he spoke English poorly when talking to the police officer

If you answered “c”, you are correct and/or read about the federal government attempting to tighten its requirements that all commercial truck drivers speak English.

Last year, police issued more than 25,000 tickets for violations of the law. Now, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration wants anyone applying for a commercial driver’s license to do so without the help of an interpreter, according to the Associated Press story.

Government officials say it’s to ensure drivers can communicate clearly with authorities. Most states let truckers and bus drivers take parts of tests in English and would still be permitted to do so under the amended regulation.

What surprised me was that no one submitted comments to the FMCSA objecting to the rule change The government essentially forcing people to learn English to get a job seems like a ripe legal challenge.

What do you think? Or, if you prefer, ¿qué piensa usted?

DANNY JACOBS, Legal Affairs Writer

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Posted by Jackie Sauter, Web Editor | Filed Under law 

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