Mexican Trucking Case Could Signal Danger for U.S. Families

Lack of language standards for truckers may increase accidents, fatalities

WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. English, Inc. is raising concerns that allowing Mexican trucks to ply U.S. roads will have tragic results unless more is done to ensure the English proficiency of drivers. On Monday, the Supreme Court ruled that President George W. Bush can overturn a 22-year ban on Mexican trucks entering the United States without conducting an environmental impact study, leading to the likelihood that Mexican trucks will be carrying goods across America by later this year.

“Lifting this ban without establishing language proficiency regulations will multiply highway accidents and deaths,” said Mauro E. Mujica, Chairman of U.S. English, Inc. “The benefit of free commerce must be balanced against the danger of having drivers who may not be able to understand road signs, police officers, and cautionary CB calls. Unless we are absolutely sure who is behind the wheel of an 18-wheeler, American families will be at grave risk.”

Several high profile events involving truckers who did not understand English have made headlines in recent years. In 1994, six members of an Illinois family died when the truck ahead of them lost its rear tailgate, which fell to the ground and ruptured the gas tank of their minivan. According to eyewitnesses, numerous truckers and motorists tried to warn the driver of the dangling tailgate, but were hampered by the language barrier. Last year, a family of five was killed in a crash involving a limited English proficient driver who ran a stop sign and whose tractor-trailer exceeded the weight limits of the road.

“These tragedies are the worst type – preventable tragedies,” explained Mujica. “To blindly throw open our border to more opportunities for catastrophe is incredibly shortsighted. It is my sincere hope that the American and Mexican governments will work together to ensure that only fully qualified truckers are on the roads. Unless we maintain strict safety and language standards, there will be tragic losses on both sides of the border.”

U.S. English, Inc. is the nation's oldest and largest non-partisan citizens' action group dedicated to preserving the unifying role of the English language in the United States. Founded in 1983 by the late Sen. S.I. Hayakawa of California, U.S. English, Inc. (www.usenglish.org) now has more than 1.8 million members.