Fried Goldberg LLC Says Expanding Interstate Trucking To Teen Drivers Ignores Longstanding Crash Data
Truck accident victim advocates are urging federal regulators to end a pilot program that lets 18–20-year-old commercial drivers haul freight across state lines, arguing that the risks are too high and the results too thin.
In a recent letter to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the Truck Safety Coalition, Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways, and Parents Against Tired Truckers called on the agency to shut down the Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot (SDAP) program instead of extending it at the request of the American Trucking Associations.
Attorneys at Fried Goldberg LLC, a national trucking litigation firm headquartered in Atlanta, say the concerns raised by crash victim advocates reflect what they see in serious truck wrecks across the country.
“Decades of data show that younger drivers are more likely to be involved in serious crashes, and that reality does not change just because they are in a commercial truck instead of a passenger vehicle,” attorney Joe Fried said. “When you combine inexperience, long hours, and interstate highway conditions, the consequences can be devastating for everyone on the road.”
Advocates Question Safety Payoff Of SDAP
In their filing, safety groups criticized SDAP as a costly experiment that has delivered very little usable information, noting that the program has reportedly produced only a small fraction of the data originally anticipated. They argue that this limited participation undercuts claims that the pilot provides a reliable basis for changing national policy on interstate driving for 18–20-year-olds.
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association has also opposed extending the program, disputing the idea that lowering the interstate driving age is a practical answer to industry turnover or recruiting challenges.
Crash Data Points To Higher Risk For Young CDL Drivers
The Truck Safety Coalition’s letter cites research from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety indicating that truck drivers ages 19–20 are several times more likely to be involved in fatal crashes than drivers 21 and older.
The group also points to Bureau of Labor Statistics data that consistently place truck driving among the nation’s deadliest occupations, with thousands killed and more than 150,000 injured in recent years.
“Teens and heavy trucks are a dangerous combination when proper safeguards and experience are not in place,” attorney Michael Goldberg said. “Families already dealing with the fallout of catastrophic truck crashes should not be asked to absorb additional risk so the industry can test policy ideas that run against what the safety data has been telling us for years.”
Fried Goldberg LLC says FMCSA’s review of SDAP and its upcoming report to Congress will be an important test of whether federal policy centers long-term crash prevention and public protection, rather than short-term staffing pressures.
About Fried Goldberg LLC
Based in Atlanta and serving victims nationwide, Fried Goldberg LLC is one of the preeminent trucking accident law firms in the United States. The firm has recovered over $1 billion for its clients, including many 7- and 8-figure verdicts and settlements. For more information, visit www.friedgoldberg.com.
