USDOT’s updated Roadway Safety Plan continues illegal trucker crackdown, encourages self-driving vehicles

The US Department of Transportation has released an updated National Roadway Safety Strategy that plans to make roads, vehicles, and people safer. 

The updated report was released August 4th by Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. 

According to the report, the updated strategy features a continued focus on eliminating truck drivers with illegally obtained CDLs, and prioritizing increased truck parking initiatives.

“We will achieve this [road safety] by ensuring that truck drivers are appropriately licensed and qualified,” Duffy wrote in a statement. 

The updated strategy will also focus on partnering with law enforcement to get dangerous drivers off the roadways, and increasing public education about “risky driving behaviors.”

The strategy explains that DOT will soon “promote the safe deployment of automated vehicles,” by “giving Americans access to affordable vehicles with the latest safety technologies.” DOT plans to issue new guidance on how the country can safely deploy autonomous vehicles on roadways, and create a consistent regulatory system for them. 

DOT will also promote road design that makes roads safer and alleviates congestion. 

“The Department promotes the use of evidence-based engineering interventions and innovative practices that can significantly enhance the safety of America’s roadway infrastructure,” the report states. 

“This new strategy builds on that progress by doubling down on our coordination with the police, enhancing our anti-congestion initiatives, and embracing automotive innovation to make our streets safer than ever,” Duffy said.

The plan does not contain any specific financial commitments.