Although all 50 states have some form of a slow down move over law we all know these laws are ineffective if not flat out useless given most motorists are not even aware they are required to slow down or move over for police or fire let alone tow trucks. Cartwright, will not be cosponsoring it this year. Given the difficulty most tow business owners face finding help today, and the fact that most towing companies are small family-owned businesses TRAA also was vocal in supporting the DRIVE SAFE Act. This
North 94 • April 2021 | Towman.com
legislation, if passed, will compel the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to create pilot programs to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of allowing drivers between the ages of 18-20 to operate in interstate commerce. Again, like the INSURANCE Act, the current prohibition on
under 21 year old drivers in interstate commerce applies to most towers, not just those that use CDL required vehicles or that physically cross state lines. Interstate commerce is any part of the trade or traffic of goods coming from or intended for other states or nations including any portion that is wholly within one state or even within one city. This means any services to out of state motorists can be interstate commerce when the strictest interpretation of the definition is applied. Simply put, an 18 year old could legally drive a 3/5 ton pickup truck to school or clear across the country on vacation but they could not drive the same truck to do a jump start or tire change on an out of state motorist because it has a gross weight rating of 11,000 pounds and therefore is a commercial vehicle engaging in interstate commerce.
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