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Safety Bulletin - Halloween Driving "Tricks" to Keep Everyone Safe

Oct. 30 2020 Miscellaneous By McCandless Idealease

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The final October 2020  Edition of the weekly Idealease safety bulletin has arrived!  Read the entire bulletin online today.  Don't forget to sign up to have them delivered straight to your inbox each week.  

1. Halloween Driving "Tricks" to follow to keep everyone safe

• 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.
• Ensure all vehicle lights are fully functioning.
• 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 play an important role too:

• Make sure children are visible. 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 look both ways before safely crossing a street.
• Instruct children to stay on sidewalks and to cross only at corners or crosswalks.
• Accompany your children as they trick or treat.

2. Safely Getting In or Out of a Commercial Motor Vehicle

  • Remind drivers to follow the 3 Point rule: 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.

3. How Does the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) New Marijuana Definition Impact CMV Drivers?

  1. Definition of “marijuana” has been recently updated to conform to a 2018 law that removed certain restrictions from hemp and the hemp-derived product known as cannabidiol (CBD).
  2. The change affected the official list of controlled substances that commercial drivers are prohibited from using, as found in 21 CFR Part 1308.

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. 
  • 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.
  • 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. 
  • 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?

  • Drivers should be cautioned on the use of CBD oil. 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.
  • Buyer beware - labels may not accurately reflect the true THC concentration. 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.

4. Commercial Drivers Given More Time to Renew HMEs

  • The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is extending its previously issued COVID-19 exemption.
  • The revised exemption is effective October 30, 2020, and remains in effect through December 31, 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. 

  • 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.

5. Time to Fall Back...Daylight Savings Time Change Next Week!

  •  2:00 a.m. on Sunday, November 1st.
  • Caution route drivers especially that the amount of daylight will change according to their stops with the change. 
  • An intersection or street can present different challenges to drivers with one-hour change in the position of the sun. 
  • One-hour of time difference can present unique changes to a driver who is on a route.

6. November 1-8th is Drowsy Driving Prevention Week

  • Educational campaign from The National Sleep Foundation designed to save lives by increasing awareness of the dangers of driving while sleepy. 
  • The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that drowsy driving causes at least 100,000 police-reported crashes and kills more than 1,550 Americans each year. 
  • There are now at least 8 states with 12 pending bills that address fatigued driving in various ways.
  • Visit www.drowsydriving.org for more information


*The Idealease Safety Bulletin is provided for Idealease locations and their customers and is not to be construed as a complete or exhaustive source of compliance or safety information. The Idealease Safety Bulletin is advisory in nature and does not warrant, guarantee, or otherwise certify compliance with laws, regulations, requirements, or guidelines of any local, state, or Federal agency and/or governing body, or industry standards.