Drivers who operate vehicles while under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Tennessee may well be one of the dangers on the road you fear the most. This is understandable indeed and then if you consider that an impaired driver might be a professional truck driver behind the wheel of a massive semi truck or other such vehicle, you might be even more worried.
It is due to the extreme risk this situation poses that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration created what it calls the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. The clearinghouse itself is basically a database repository for testing and other information to be stored about truck drivers’ drug and alcohol testing and any possible violations associated with them. There is a set of procedures that individuals or companies that employ truckers must follow to prevent allowing impaired drivers on the road.
All persons applying for a commercial driving job must pass a drug and alcohol screening test. If they refuse to take the test, they will not be allowed to be hired for a driving position. Employers must also review clearinghouse records to be informed of any potential issues such as recent drunk driving convictions, for example. Once hired, the employers must review their records in the clearinghouse every year.
If you would like to learn more about how you or a loved on might get help after being involved in an accident involving a potentially impaired truck driver, please feel free to visit the drunk or drugged trucker page of our Tennessee personal injury website.