Qualification of Drivers; Exemption Applications; Vision |
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Larry W. Minor
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
20 March 2019
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 54 (Wednesday, March 20, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10389-10392]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-05269]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
[Docket No. FMCSA-2019-0005]
Qualification of Drivers; Exemption Applications; Vision
AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of applications for exemption; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: FMCSA announces receipt of applications from 13 individuals
for an exemption from the vision requirement in the Federal Motor
Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) to operate a commercial motor
vehicle (CMV) in interstate commerce. If granted, the exemptions will
enable these individuals to operate CMVs in interstate commerce without
meeting the vision requirement in one eye.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before April 19, 2019.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by the Federal Docket
Management System (FDMS) Docket No. FMCSA-2019-0005 using any of the
following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting
comments.
Mail: Docket Management Facility; U.S. Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building Ground Floor,
Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
Hand Delivery: West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140,
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.,
ET, Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays.
Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
To avoid duplication, please use only one of these four methods.
See the ``Public Participation'' portion of the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION section for instructions on submitting comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Christine A. Hydock, Chief,
Medical Programs Division, (202) 366-4001,
[[Page 10390]]
fmcsamedical@dot.gov, FMCSA, Department of Transportation, 1200 New
Jersey Avenue SE, Room W64-224, Washington, DC 20590-0001. Office hours
are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., ET, Monday through Friday, except Federal
holidays. If you have questions regarding viewing or submitting
material to the docket, contact Docket Services, telephone (202) 366-
9826.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Public Participation
A. Submitting Comments
If you submit a comment, please include the docket number for this
notice (Docket No. FMCSA-2019-0005), indicate the specific section of
this document to which each comment applies, and provide a reason for
each suggestion or recommendation. You may submit your comments and
material online or by fax, mail, or hand delivery, but please use only
one of these means. FMCSA recommends that you include your name and a
mailing address, an email address, or a phone number in the body of
your document so that FMCSA can contact you if there are questions
regarding your submission.
To submit your comment online, go to http://www.regulations.gov,
put the docket number, FMCSA-2019-0005, in the keyword box, and click
``Search.'' When the new screen appears, click on the ``Comment Now!''
button and type your comment into the text box on the following screen.
Choose whether you are submitting your comment as an individual or on
behalf of a third party and then submit.
If you submit your comments by mail or hand delivery, submit them
in an unbound format, no larger than 8\1/2\ by 11 inches, suitable for
copying and electronic filing. If you submit comments by mail and would
like to know that they reached the facility, please enclose a stamped,
self-addressed postcard or envelope.
FMCSA will consider all comments and material received during the
comment period.
B. Viewing Documents and Comments
To view comments, as well as any documents mentioned in this notice
as being available in the docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov.
Insert the docket number, FMCSA-2019-0005, in the keyword box, and
click ``Search.'' Next, click the ``Open Docket Folder'' button and
choose the document to review. If you do not have access to the
internet, you may view the docket online by visiting the Docket
Management Facility in Room W12-140 on the ground floor of the DOT West
Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590, between 9
a.m. and 5 p.m., ET, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
C. Privacy Act
In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits comments from the
public to better inform its rulemaking process. DOT posts these
comments, without edit, including any personal information the
commenter provides, to www.regulations.gov, as described in the system
of records notice (DOT/ALL-14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at
www.dot.gov/privacy.
II. Background
Under 49 U.S.C. 31136(e) and 31315, FMCSA may grant an exemption
from the FMCSRs for a five-year period if it finds such exemption would
likely achieve a level of safety that is equivalent to, or greater
than, the level that would be achieved absent such exemption. The
statute also allows the Agency to renew exemptions at the end of the
five-year period. FMCSA grants exemptions from the FMCSRs for a two-
year period to align with the maximum duration of a driver's medical
certification.
The 13 individuals listed in this notice have requested an
exemption from the vision requirement in 49 CFR 391.41(b)(10).
Accordingly, the Agency will evaluate the qualifications of each
applicant to determine whether granting an exemption will achieve the
required level of safety mandated by statute.
The physical qualification standard for drivers regarding vision
found in 49 CFR 391.41(b)(10) states that a person is physically
qualified to drive a CMV if that person has distant visual acuity of at
least 20/40 (Snellen) in each eye without corrective lenses or visual
acuity separately corrected to 20/40 (Snellen) or better with
corrective lenses, distant binocular acuity of at least 20/40 (Snellen)
in both eyes with or without corrective lenses, field of vision of at
least 70[deg] in the horizontal Meridian in each eye, and the ability
to recognize the colors of traffic signals and devices showing standard
red, green, and amber.
In July 1992, the Agency first published the criteria for the
Vision Waiver Program, which listed the conditions and reporting
standards that CMV drivers approved for participation would need to
meet (Qualification of Drivers; Vision Waivers, 57 FR 31458, July 16,
1992). The current Vision Exemption Program was established in 1998,
following the enactment of amendments to the statutes governing
exemptions made by Sec. 4007 of the Transportation Equity Act for the
21st Century (TEA-21), Public Law 105-178, 112 Stat. 107, 401 (June 9,
1998). Vision exemptions are considered under the procedures
established in 49 CFR part 381 subpart C, on a case-by-case basis upon
application by CMV drivers who do not meet the vision standards of 49
CFR 391.41(b)(10).
To qualify for an exemption from the vision requirement, FMCSA
requires a person to present verifiable evidence that he/she has driven
a commercial vehicle safely with the vision deficiency for the past
three years. Recent driving performance is especially important in
evaluating future safety, according to several research studies
designed to correlate past and future driving performance. Results of
these studies support the principle that the best predictor of future
performance by a driver is his/her past record of crashes and traffic
violations. Copies of the studies may be found at Docket Number FMCSA-
1998-3637.
FMCSA believes it can properly apply the principle to monocular
drivers, because data from the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA)
former waiver study program clearly demonstrated the driving
performance of experienced monocular drivers in the program is better
than that of all CMV drivers collectively (See 61 FR 13338, 13345,
March 26, 1996). The fact that experienced monocular drivers
demonstrated safe driving records in the waiver program supports a
conclusion that other monocular drivers, meeting the same qualifying
conditions as those required by the waiver program, are also likely to
have adapted to their vision deficiency and will continue to operate
safely.
The first major research correlating past and future performance
was done in England by Greenwood and Yule in 1920. Subsequent studies,
building on that model, concluded that crash rates for the same
individual exposed to certain risks for two different time periods vary
only slightly (See Bates and Neyman, University of California
Publications in Statistics, April 1952). Other studies demonstrated
theories of predicting crash proneness from crash history coupled with
other factors. These factors--such as age, sex, geographic location,
mileage driven and conviction history--are used every day by insurance
companies and motor vehicle bureaus to predict the probability of an
individual experiencing future crashes (See Weber, Donald C.,
``Accident Rate Potential: An Application of Multiple Regression
Analysis of a Poisson Process,'' Journal
[[Page 10391]]
of American Statistical Association, June 1971). A 1964 California
Driver Record Study prepared by the California Department of Motor
Vehicles concluded that the best overall crash predictor for both
concurrent and nonconcurrent events is the number of single
convictions. This study used three consecutive years of data, comparing
the experiences of drivers in the first two years with their
experiences in the final year.
III. Qualifications of Applicants
Maximo Fernandez
Mr. Fernandez, 37, has had retinal dystrophy in his right eye since
2013. The visual acuity in his right eye is 20/150, and in his left
eye, 20/40. Following an examination in 2019, his optometrist stated,
``I hereby certify that in my medical opinion, Mr. Maximo Fernandez
does have sufficient vision to perform the driving tasks required to
operate a commercial vehicle in interstate commerce only.'' Mr.
Fernandez reported that he has driven straight trucks for six years,
accumulating 150,000 miles, and tractor-trailer combinations for six
years, accumulating 150,000 miles. He holds a Class A CDL from Texas.
His driving record for the last three years shows no crashes and no
convictions for moving violations in a CMV.
Michael W. Ireland
Mr. Ireland, 60, has had a retinal detachment in his right eye due
to a retinal defect since 2012. The visual acuity in his right eye is
20/400, and in his left eye, 20/20. Following an examination in 2018,
his ophthalmologist stated, ``He has sufficient vision to perform the
driving tasks required to operate a commercial vehicle.'' Mr. Ireland
reported that he has driven straight trucks for 40 years, accumulating
2.2 million miles, and tractor-trailer combinations for 38 years,
accumulating 380,000 miles. He holds a Class AM CDL from Massachusetts.
His driving record for the last three years shows no crashes and no
convictions for moving violations in a CMV.
Thomas J. Johnston, Jr.
Mr. Johnston, 41, has macular atrophy in his right eye due to a
traumatic incident in 1996. The visual acuity in his right eye is 20/
200, and in his left eye, 20/20. Following an examination in 2018, his
optometrist stated, ``In my professional opinion, Thomas Johnston has
sufficient vision to preform [sic] the driving tasks required to
operate a commercial vehicle.'' Mr. Johnston reported that he has
driven straight trucks for 22 years, accumulating 1.1 million miles. He
holds an operator's license from Texas. His driving record for the last
three years shows no crashes and no convictions for moving violations
in a CMV.
Keith A. Larson
Mr. Larson, 58, has band keratopathy in his left eye due to a
traumatic incident in 2000. The visual acuity in his right eye is 20/
20, and in his left eye, light perception. Following an examination in
2018, his ophthalmologist stated, ``Mr. Larson is diagnosed with band
keratopathy of the left eye and in my opinion is able to drive a
commercial vehicle.'' Mr. Larson reported that he has driven straight
trucks for 18 years, accumulating 387,000 miles. He holds an operator's
license from Massachusetts. His driving record for the last three years
shows no crashes and no convictions for moving violations in a CMV.
Scott A. MacPherson
Mr. MacPherson, 53, has a cataract in his right eye due to a
traumatic incident in childhood. The visual acuity in his right eye is
20/400, and in his left eye, 20/20. Following an examination in 2018,
his optometrist stated, ``I certify that in my medical opinion Scott
MacPherson has sufficient vision to perform the driving tasks required
to operate a commercial vehicle.'' Mr. MacPherson reported that he has
driven straight trucks for 18 years, accumulating 144,000 miles. He
holds an operator's license from Massachusetts. His driving record for
the last three years shows no crashes and no convictions for moving
violations in a CMV.
Brandon L. Mask
Mr. Mask, 31, has a prosthetic left eye due to a traumatic incident
in childhood. The visual acuity in his right eye is 20/15, and in his
left eye, no light perception. Following an examination in 2018, his
optometrist stated, ``It is in my opinion Brandon has sufficient vison
[sic] to operate a commercial vehicle.'' Mr. Mask reported that he has
driven tractor-trailer combinations for seven years, accumulating
525,000 miles. He holds a Class A CDL from Arkansas. His driving record
for the last three years shows no crashes and no convictions for moving
violations in a CMV.
Christopher W. Proeschel
Mr. Proeschel, 55, has a macular scar in his left eye due to
toxoplasmosis in 1981. The visual acuity in his right eye is 20/20, and
in his left eye, 20/80. Following an examination in 2018, his
optometrist stated, ``Chris has sufficient vision to perform driving
tasks of a commercial vehicle binocularly with both eyes open,
achieving 20/20 with both eyes, but reduced vision of 20/80 in the left
eye.'' Mr. Proeschel reported that he has driven straight trucks for 38
years, accumulating 38,000 miles, and tractor-trailer combinations for
26 years, accumulating 130,000 miles. He holds a Class A CDL from Ohio.
His driving record for the last three years shows no crashes and no
convictions for moving violations in a CMV.
Michael Renzetti
Mr. Renzetti, 57, has a prosthetic right eye due to trauma in
childhood. The visual acuity in his right eye is no light perception,
and in his left eye, 20/20. Following an examination in 2018, his
ophthalmologist stated, ``I believe that Mr. Renzetti's left eye is
sufficient and his visual deficiency is stable. I believe Michael is
able to drive a Commercial Motor Vehicle `CMV' without any problems or
restrictions.'' Mr. Renzetti reported that he has driven straight
trucks for 33 years, accumulating 214,500 miles, and tractor-trailer
combinations for 33 years, accumulating 2.8 million miles. He holds a
Class A CDL from Connecticut. His driving record for the last three
years shows no crashes and no convictions for moving violations in a
CMV.
Cory W. Schell
Mr. Schell, 52, has had amblyopia in his left eye since birth. The
visual acuity in his right eye is 20/20, and in his left eye, 20/500.
Following an examination in 2018, his optometrist stated, ``In my
medical opinion, I believe his vision has been sufficient to operate a
commercial vehicle and expect it to remain so for the unforeseen
future.'' Mr. Schell reported that he has driven straight trucks for 35
years, accumulating 350,000 miles, and tractor-trailer combinations for
five years, accumulating 10,000 miles. He holds a Class A CDL from
Washington. His driving record for the last three years shows no
crashes and no convictions for moving violations in a CMV.
Rodney A. Stahl
Mr. Stahl, 29, has had amblyopia in his left eye since childhood.
The visual acuity in his right eye is 20/15, and in his left eye, 20/
200. Following an examination in 2018, his optometrist stated, ``Mr.
Stahl has sufficient vision to operate a commercial vehicle.'' Mr.
Stahl reported that he has driven straight trucks for eight years,
accumulating 176,000 miles, and
[[Page 10392]]
tractor-trailer combinations for two years, accumulating 50,000 miles.
He holds an operator's license from Minnesota. His driving record for
the last three years shows no crashes and no convictions for moving
violations in a CMV.
Alvin J. Urke
Mr. Urke, 77, has aphakia in his left eye due to a traumatic
incident in childhood. The visual acuity in his right eye is 20/25, and
in his left eye, hand motion. Following an examination in 2018, his
ophthalmologist stated, ``I certify that in my medical opinion, Mr.
Urke has sufficient vision to perform the driving tasks required to
operate a commercial vehicle.'' Mr. Urke reported that he has driven
straight trucks for 26 years, accumulating 130,000 miles. He holds a
Class B CDL from California. His driving record for the last three
years shows no crashes and no convictions for moving violations in a
CMV.
David Wiebe
Mr. Wiebe, 52, has had amblyopia in his left eye since birth. The
visual acuity in his right eye is 20/20, and in his left eye, 20/200.
Following an examination in 2018, his optometrist stated, ``Based on
the above listed findings the patient's vision is sufficient to perform
driving tasks required to operate a commercial vehicle.'' Mr. Wiebe
reported that he has driven tractor-trailer combinations for six years,
accumulating 564,000 miles. He holds a Class A CDL from Texas. His
driving record for the last three years shows no crashes and no
convictions for moving violations in a CMV.
Robert L. Williams, Jr.
Mr. Williams, 56, has corneal opacity in his right eye due to a
traumatic incident in 1988. The visual acuity in his right eye is 20/
800, and in his left eye, 20/20. Following an examination in 2018, his
optometrist stated, ``It is my professional opinion Mr. Williams has
sufficient vision to perform the driving tasks required to operate a
commercial vehicle.'' Mr. Williams reported that he has driven straight
trucks for 20 years, accumulating 400,000 miles, tractor-trailer
combinations for 20 years, accumulating 200,000 miles, and buses for 32
years, accumulating 320,000 miles. He holds a Class A CDL from
Mississippi. His driving record for the last three years shows no
crashes and no convictions for moving violations in a CMV.
IV. Request for Comments
In accordance with 49 U.S.C. 31136(e) and 31315, FMCSA requests
public comment from all interested persons on the exemption petitions
described in this notice. We will consider all comments and material
received before the close of business on the closing date indicated in
the dates section of the notice.
Issued on: February 28, 2019.
Larry W. Minor,
Associate Administrator for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2019-05269 Filed 3-19-19; 8:45 am]
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