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THETRUCKER.COM
Nation February 15-28, 2021 • 5
Report from Office of Inspector General shows that FMCSA falls short
in oversight of national registry of medical-certification examiners
THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES
WASHINGTON — A report released last
month by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s
(DOT) Office of Inspector General revealed
that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration (FMCSA) has fallen short
in meeting oversight requirements while rebuilding
the National Registry of Certified
Medical Examiners.
As part of its mission, the FMCSA oversees
its medical-certification program and
promotes safety through regulations, policies
and monitoring of certified medical
examiners and driver examinations. The
purpose of the National Registry of Certified
Medical Examiners, initiated in 2014,
is to verify that medical examiners can effectively
determine if interstate commercial
drivers meet FMCSA’s physical qualification
standards.
In 2019, as fatalities in crashes involving
large trucks or buses increased by 10.6%
over a five-year period, an audit of FMCSA’s
oversight was initiated due to the significant
safety risk posed by drivers who do not
meet physical qualification requirements.
The audit analyzed FMCSA’s procedures in
validating and maintaining data quality in the
registry and monitoring medical examiner
Indiana traffic stop leads to DUI, multiple
felony drug charges for Nevada trucker
THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES
VIGO COUNTY, Ind. — Indiana State
Police on Jan. 29 arrested and filed charges
against a Nevada truck driver after a traffic
stop led to the discovery of methamphetamine
and drug paraphernalia.
At about 8:20 p.m., near the 9-mile marker
of Interstate 70 in Vigo County, a state trooper
stopped a tractor-trailer driven by Chad H.
Bowman, 44, of Amargosa Valley, Nevada,
for unsafe lane movement. According to a
report by the Indiana State Police, Bowman
“displayed signs of impairment,” and a search
of the vehicle revealed methamphetamine and
drug paraphernalia.
Bowman agreed to submit to a drug test,
b Snowplow from page 4 b
that triggers the message when they travel near
the sign.
This pilot project is part of MnDOT’s
connected and automated vehicle research
to understand how advancing technology
can improve safety. Minnesota is preparing
for connected and automated vehicles
by observing emerging technology trends
and testing those solutions to see how they
eligibility and performance and reviewing
driver examinations.
“FMCSA’s ability to oversee whether
drivers meet physical qualification standards
to safely operate a commercial vehicle is
limited because of a lengthy outage of the
National Registry and a resulting backlog
of driver examination reports that were not
entered into the Registry,” the Office of Inspector
General noted in a Jan. 13 statement.
The report also notes that the effectiveness of
FMCSA’s oversight is hampered by data that
is not fully accurate or complete.
“FMCSA has not fully implemented requirements
for random periodic monitoring
of medical examiners’ eligibility and performance,”
the statement continues. Initial
certification reviews have been conducted
to verify medical examiners’ eligibility, but
FMCSA has not implemented annual audits.
These periodic audits could result in the
FMCSA missing fraud indicators or other
risks.
FMCSA has been advised of the following
recommendations following the audit:
1. Implement Agency plans for eliminating
the backlog of driver examination results
held by medical examiners.
2. Develop a plan to allocate resources to
which he failed. Bowman was arrested and
taken to the Vigo County Jail. County records
show he was released on recognizance Monday,
Feb. 1, pending trial.
Bowman is charged with:
• Possession of methamphetamine, Felony 6;
• Possession of paraphernalia, Class C
Misdemeanor;
• Operating a vehicle while intoxicated
endangering a person, Class A Misdemeanor;
and
• Operating a vehicle while intoxicated,
Class C misdemeanor.
All criminal defendants are presumed innocent
until, and unless proven guilty beyond
a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 8
solve Minnesota transportation challenges.
MnDOT’s Connected and Automated Vehicle
Office (CAV-X) is the state’s lead office
for connected and automated vehicle
technology engagement, policy, testing and
partnerships.
“Our trucks are already providing data, so
we’re able to build off of that and test this concept,”
said Jed Falgren, MnDOT’s state director
for transportation system management and
operations. “We can improve safety and this
an important test that should show us what can
come next.” 8
the Medical Programs Division to fully implement
requirements for medical examiner
eligibility audits and random selection performance
monitoring.
3. Update Agency processes for conducting
periodic medical examiner eligibility audits
and random selection performance monitoring
as needed to incorporate upgraded National
Registry tools.
4. Reinstate the conduct of eligibility audits
and random selection performance monitoring
of medical examiners.
According to the Jan. 13 statement,
FMCSA concurs with these recommendations
to improve oversight of the National
Registry of Certified Medical Examiners. 8
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iStock Photo
An audit of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration’s oversight has fallen short
during the rebuilding of the National Registry
of Certified Medical Examiners.
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