Citizens for Reliable & Safe Highways v. Mineta

Public Citizen, Teamsters for a Democratic Union, Parents Against Tired Truckers, and Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways sued the Department of Transportation (DOT) in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit for failing to comply with statutes that required the agency to promulgate truck-safety rules by particular deadlines. In each instance, DOT missed the deadline, in some cases by many years.

The parties entered into a settlement agreement, under which DOT agreed to issue final rules in five vital areas by June 30, 2004, starting with a final rule regarding truck drivers’ hours of service and other fatigue-related issues, which DOT agreed to promulgate by May 31, 2003. The other rules address: (1) minimum training requirements for drivers of longer combination vehicles; (2) background information and safety performance history of commercial drivers; (3) training standards for entry-level drivers of commercial motor vehicles; and (4) permits for the transportation of hazardous materials. After DOT promulgated the regulations, the petitioners voluntarily dismissed the case.