Federal transportation officials removed hundreds of unsafe drivers from America’s highways last month after a targeted, multi-state enforcement operation uncovered widespread violations of basic safety and qualification standards — including failures to meet English proficiency requirements.
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, roughly 500 truck drivers were taken off the road over just three days during Operation SafeDRIVE, which ran from Jan. 13 through Jan. 15 across 26 states and Washington, D.C. The effort marked what officials described as the first phase of a broader crackdown aimed at identifying drivers and vehicles that pose risks to public safety.
In total, inspectors placed 704 drivers out of service and sidelined 1,231 vehicles after conducting 8,215 inspections. Authorities also made 56 arrests during the operation, including cases involving individuals who were in the country illegally and others accused of driving under the influence.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy praised the results, saying the operation demonstrated the importance of coordinated enforcement in keeping Americans safe.
“Operation SafeDRIVE shows what happens when we work together with our law enforcement partners to pull unqualified drivers and vehicles off American roads,” Duffy said in a statement. He added that a “whole-of-government approach” is necessary to ensure the Trump administration’s safety standards are enforced to protect families and reduce crashes.
The operation comes amid renewed focus by the Trump administration on tightening enforcement of Commercial Driver’s License requirements, particularly when it comes to illegal immigrants and English language proficiency. The push intensified following a deadly crash on a Florida turnpike in which three people were allegedly killed by Indian national Harjinder Singh.
Last May, Duffy signed an order clarifying that drivers who cannot meet English proficiency standards will be taken off the road, rather than simply cited. A policy memo accompanying the order warned that lax enforcement of driver qualification standards creates serious safety risks.
“The failure to adequately enforce driver qualification standards poses serious safety concerns and increases the likelihood for a crash,” the memo states. It adds that FMCSA now considers failure to comply with English language proficiency requirements a significant safety risk that had previously been underestimated. The memo explains that stronger enforcement — including placing drivers out of service — is expected to improve overall road safety.
That policy direction was further reinforced this week when President Donald Trump signed a government spending package that formally solidified his April 2025 executive order addressing the issue, according to Overdrive.
FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs emphasized that the enforcement action was not political, but about public safety.
“When drivers ignore the rules, operate without proper qualifications, or get behind the wheel impaired, they put all of our lives at risk,” Barrs said. “Operation SafeDRIVE demonstrates the value of focused enforcement and strong partnerships in removing these drivers and vehicles from our roads.”
Federal officials have made clear that Operation SafeDRIVE is not a one-off effort, but the opening phase of a broader strategy to strengthen oversight, enforce existing laws, and restore confidence that commercial drivers operating on U.S. roads meet minimum safety and communication standards.
For motorists, the message from regulators is straightforward: stricter enforcement is back, and unqualified drivers will no longer be allowed to put American lives at risk.
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