Halloween Driving “Tricks” to Keep Everyone Safe

To help everyone bring home treats — not tragedies — follow these tips for a safe Halloween:

• Focus on your driving.  A single distraction could lead to a tragedy.
• Stay well below the posted speed limit.
• Pay attention to what's happening on sidewalks and roadways. Watch for children darting across streets, especially between parked cars.
• Be extra alert when pulling in and out of driveways.
• Do not assume children can see you or are paying attention. You need to take that responsibility.
• Drivers should also check that all lights on their car work.
• Do not pass other vehicles that have stopped in the roadway. They could be dropping off children.
• If you're driving a group of children, but staying in the running vehicle at the curb, be sure to put on your hazard lights to alert other motorists.
• And if you're driving to a Halloween party, put that mask on after you park the car.

Parents can help motorists, too:

• Make sure drivers can see the children. Give them flashlights and glow sticks. Dress kids in bright, reflective clothing or use reflective tape on their costumes.
• Use makeup, rather than masks, so children have a clear, unobstructed view of their surroundings.
• Be sure children know how to cross a street -- look left, right and left again before crossing.
• Instruct children to stay on sidewalks and to cross only at corners or crosswalks.
• Accompany your children as they trick or treat.

Now is a good time to remind drivers to follow the 3 Point rule while getting in and out of their trucks.  During the winter months footing conditions are compromised and the chance of slipping or falling is increased.  The 3 Point rule is simply that you keep three out of four of your contact points (hands and feet) secured to keep from slipping or falling.  When exiting a truck , for example, one hand on the cab handle, one hand gripping interior door handle and one foot on a step while the other foot is in transition, by doing this you always maintain three points of contact.
 

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) recently updated its definition of “marijuana” to conform to a 2018 law that removed certain restrictions from hemp and the hemp-derived product known as cannabidiol (CBD).

The change affected the official list of controlled substances that commercial drivers are prohibited from using, as found in 21 CFR Part 1308.

However, the revised DEA list of controlled substances will have little impact on regulated drivers.

What changed on DEA’s Schedule I?

The list still includes marijuana, which commercial drivers can never use or possess, but hemp-derived substances are excluded. In addition, the definition of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) — the main psychoactive component of marijuana — now excludes the THC found in hemp as long as its concentration remains below 0.3 percent.

Under DEA rules, any hemp product with a concentration of more than 0.3 percent THC is still treated as a Schedule I substance. This means it cannot legally be prescribed and cannot be used by any safety-sensitive employees, including commercial drivers.

Will a driver test positive for THC when using CBD oil?

There is no guarantee that CBD oil derived from hemp will result in a negative drug test result. Factors include the concentration of THC in the CBD oil and how much oil the driver is using.

If the oil was processed from a marijuana plant, THC is more likely to show up in a drug-testing panel based on the chemical composition of the plant.

Since THC is an absolute in DOT testing, a medical review officer (MRO) cannot take the medicinal use of a CBD oil into consideration as he or she determines a drug test result.

What can motor carriers do?

Since CBD oil is becoming much more commonplace, drivers should be cautioned on the use of CBD oil.

Points to cover during driver training may include:

There is no guarantee of a negative drug test since trace THC may show up in a DOT urine specimen.

MROs will not accept CBD oil as a valid medical explanation for a positive test for THC.

Enforcement may view CBD oil in a commercial motor vehicle as possession since an officer is unable to determine the concentration of THC.

In addition, labels may not accurately reflect the true THC concentration, so buyer beware. Drivers should be especially wary of oils sold in states that allow for recreational and/or medical use of marijuana. The oil may have been processed from the marijuana plant, which may cause it to have higher concentrations of THC.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is extending its previously issued COVID-19 exemption, which provides commercial drivers with additional time to renew their hazardous materials endorsement (HME).

The revised exemption is effective October 30, 2020, and remains in effect through December 31, 2020. The previous waiver was published on July 31, 2020, and was scheduled to expire on October 30, 2020.

Under this exemption, states may extend the expiration date of HMEs that expire on or after March 1, 2020, for 180 days, due to the challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. It may be impracticable for some commercial drivers to appear in-person at a state licensing agency or TSA enrollment center for the collection of fingerprints and applicant information as a part of TSA’s security threat assessment (STA) procedures. Without a new STA, TSA’s regulations prevent states from renewing or extending the expiration of a driver’s state-issued HME.

If a state grants an extension, a driver with an expired HME must initiate the process of renewing his or her STA for the HME no later than 60 days before the end of the state-granted extension. TSA needs at least 60 days to process a driver’s application for STA renewal once it is submitted.

Drivers with an HME should confirm state-specifics concerning any extensions.