GOOD INTENTIONS - WRONG ASSUMPTION

The Truck Safety Coalition is arguing against the current transportation bill that would eliminate an ancient old rule that has been outdated for decades that prevents anyone under the age of 21 from engaging in professional interstate driving.

Their quote does not provide any rationale for their position. It simply states: “Congress should be doing everything to reverse this trend, not intensify it...This is why it is important to urge other Senators to support much needed changes to the DRIVE Act.”

We allow 18 year old young adults to perform in virtually every other occupation, including the military. AvatarFleet takes the position that safety is freedom from risk. The industry would be far safer, that is freer from risk, if it did a better job of carefully selecting driver applicants, not based on the age, but on their risk profile and tolerance for risk. The fundamental personality traits are easily determined through self-report psychometric questions and a careful review of an applicant’s historical record.

Once hired, based in part on the risk aversion profile, an eighteen year old can be taught defensive driving skills faster and easier than an older driver who has likely developed habituated unsafe behavior patterns.

This law, followed by good business practices, can help us solve the driver problem and actually make our highway safer.