A new study from the Mailman School of Public Health and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health shows mandatory alcohol testing among bus and truck drivers has reduced danger by over 20%

The study sampled 70,000 motor carrier trucks and 83,000 non-motor carrier cars. The motor carrier portion showed a 23% reduced risk of alcohol-related fatalities. The study was set to evaluate the effectiveness of the Omnibus Transportation Employee Testing Act of 1991, which mandated alcohol testing for transit employees involved in safety functions. 

Each year, 4,000 crashes occur between a heavy vehicle such as a truck or bus and a small car. 80% of these crashes are fatal. Surprisingly, while 27% of the drivers in the cars are under the influence of alcohol in these accidents, only 3% of the truck or bus drivers are.

While this study seems to point to the effectiveness of the policy, Guohua Li, MD, DrPH, professor with the Mailman School or Public Health, points out there are ethical and legal questions regarding the policy. This study, Li says, was critical in overcoming objections to the policy by proving it is effective in increasing roadway safety.

One issue regarding the alcohol-testing policy is the inability to enforce the policy across national borders. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is supposed to allow trucks from Canada and Mexico to have access to American roadways. Safety concerns have now limited the access granted drivers from other nations.

A primary safety concern blocking NAFTA is maintenance and inspection of the trucks and vehicles. The United States has heavier regulation on fuel economy, service and other requirements for the trucks. A further concern is the lack of alcohol testing in drivers from other nations. The study did not show statistics on fatalities or accidents caused by trucks originating outside the United States, however, so any claims that foreign trucks are more apt to have drivers behind the wheel under the influence are unsubstantiated as of now.