Stricter Requirements Called For Driving Heavy Trucks
The question of how could Saturday's tragic accident, when a loaded trailer slammed into stopped vehicles, crushing four people to death, have occurred and what is being done to stop the carnage still linger. And no answers are clear, other than a promise by Tránsito (traffic) officials to get hard on truckers.

The problem is that as of ten years ago the requirements for obtaining a B-4 license for driving a heavy truck were lessened.

Today, any person at the age of 18 can obtain a B-4 license even though they have no road experience nor any experience in handling big trucks.

The change came with a decision of the Sala Constitucional (Constitutional Court) or Sala IV as it is often referred to, that sided with an appeal that challenged the law that required a driver to have at least five years driving experience before being given a B-4 license.

Currently, Ley 7331 only requires a driver to complete the requirements under a B-1 license, a license to drive a passenger vehicle.

The B-1 requirements are that the person can read, has passed the Curso Básico de Educación Vial (basic drivers eductions), have a medical certificate, provide a road test and have not been fine for driving without a drivers license.

The Curso Basico is based on sitting in a classroom to learn the rules of the road. There is no requirement of receiving driving instructions as pre-requisite to the driving exam and the medical certificate can be purchased outside the MOPT licensing office for usually us$10, after answering a number of questions by a licensed doctor, who takes your blood pressure and an eye exam.

In practice, a person who have never driven a vehicle before in their life, can obtain a drivers license in days by simply completing all the above requirements, of which the hardest part is waiting hours in line at the MOPT offices, and then get behind the wheel of a heavy truck.

"It would be best if persons driving heavy trucks would be at least 25 years of age and have at least five years driving experience in other types of vehicles", were the words of Huanelgue Gutiérrez, sub-director of the Policía de Tránsito.

On the side of the Tránsito is the Asociación Nacional de Traileros (national truckers association) who recognize that stricter regulations for drivers of heavy trucks is required.

"When one sees such a young person driving a big truck, one can only ask if they know what they are doing. A tractor trailer is no game, it is something very serioys", siad Luis Alberto Coto of the truckers association.

Coto added that his association has expressed its concern over the drivers license issue on various occasions and that the persons in charge of putting an end to the problem do nothing.

Vivian Martín, vice- minister of Transportes, says that since last August the Policía de Tránsito has been issued a government decree to get tough on all drivers, not just those of big trucks.

Martín, however, emphasized that the decree is not enough and that the approval of the reforms to the Ley de Tránsito, which was presented to the Legislative Assembly in November, are needed.

"If the law had been passed the accident of Saturday could have been avoided, the driver would have lost his license at his first infraction", said Martín.

The driver in Saturday morning's accident has been identified as 21 year old José Pablo Vargas and had had his drivers license suspended for more than a year. Also, at his young age and short driving experience, has registered 27 traffic violations and four traffic accidents.

Vargas' father, the owner of the truck refused to show his show his face before the television cameras who visited his home yesterday, but told a Telenoticias reporter by phone that the blame for the accident is to be placed on the truck that was making a left turn on the highway, causing traffic behind it to be stopped.

During 2006, 20 people died at the scene of traffic accidents involving heavy trucks.

Karla González, ministras de Obras Públicas y Transportes (MOPT), assured yesterday that they will push ahead for drivers to have experience before getting the wheel of a big truck.