Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration July 24, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

FMCSA previously announced its decision to renew the exemptions from the vision requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations for 48 individuals. FMCSA has statutory authority to exempt individuals from the vision requirement if the exemptions granted will not compromise safety. The Agency has reviewed the comments submitted in response to the previous announcement and concluded that granting these exemptions will provide a level of safety that will be equivalent to, or greater than, the level of safety maintained without the exemptions for these commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers.

FMCSA announces its decision to renew the exemptions from the vision requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations for 22 individuals. FMCSA has statutory authority to exempt individuals from the vision requirement if the exemptions granted will not compromise safety. The Agency has concluded that granting these exemption renewals will provide a level of safety that is equivalent to, or greater than, the level of safety maintained without the exemptions for these commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers.

The FMCSA announces regulatory guidance concerning its definition of ``accident.'' The regulatory guidance is presented in a question-and-answer form. The guidance is generally applicable to drivers, commercial motor vehicles, and motor carrier operations subject to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. All prior interpretations and regulatory guidance concerning the term ``accident'' issued previously in the Federal Register, as well as memoranda and letters, may no longer be relied upon as authoritative if they are inconsistent with the guidance published today. This guidance will provide the motor carrier industry and Federal, State, and local law enforcement officials with uniform information for use in determining whether certain vehicle fires must be recorded on the motor carrier's accident register and considered in applying the Agency's safety fitness procedures.