Reps. Mike Thompson and Geoff Davis Introduce Commercial Vehicle Safety Bill
Congressmen works across party lines to make new brake technology affordable, accessible
“Each year, there are over 384,000 crashes involving trucks, buses, and other heavy vehicles,” Congressman Thompson said. “Many of these accidents could have been prevented if advanced safety technologies had been in place. I was proud to work with Congressman Davis to introduce this legislation, which would make safety systems more affordable for the folks who need them.”
“In addition to the great safety benefits of this bill and the many lives that can be saved, these targeted and capped tax credits will help jump start the supply chain for advanced safety systems and create jobs,” Congressman Davis said. “I want to thank Congressman Thompson for his work on this bill and for sponsoring it in the previous Congress. I look forward to continuing to work with him to see this bill enacted.”
"MGM Brakes strongly supports the Commercial Motor Vehicle Advanced Safety Technology Tax Act of 2011," said Ron Parker, Chairman, President and CEO of MGM Brakes, "MGM Brakes' history is strongly rooted in a tradition of safety and this long-time commitment is reflected in our support for this legislation. By making advanced safety technologies such as Brake Stroke Monitoring Systems more affordable for purchase, H.R. 1706 has the potential to significantly assist in reducing the number of truck and motorcoach-related crashes on the Nation's roads as well as preventing injuries and fatalities."
The Commercial Motor Vehicle Advanced Safety Technology Tax Act of 2009 was introduced by Congressmen Thompson and Davis in the 111th Congress as H.R. 2024. The bill would limit the proposed tax credit annually so vehicle owners can claim no more than $1,500 per safety system, and $3,500 per vehicle. The credit would be made available immediately upon passage, but would expire after five years of implementation.
Eligible devices for the tax credit have been identified by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance as holding great potential to provide significant safety benefits, but are not yet mandated by the federal government. Many of these technologies were assessed in an April 2010 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study, which found they have "the potential to prevent or mitigate more than 1 of every 4 large truck crashes, 1 of every 3 injury crashes, and about 1 of 5 fatal crashes."