Cooperation, Technology Marked Reagle Years as Head of OMC
A career safety official, Mr. Reagle worked with trucking on regulations and sought to bolster compliance and enforcement of rules through the use of electronics.
Mr. Reagle was named associate administrator of the Federal Highway Administration department in December 1993, after a three-year stint at the National Transportation Safety Board. He brought with him years of experience in traffic safety, having started his career in 1971 with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
During the 1970s, he pushed to impose mandatory use of antilock brakes on trucks. The industry opposed the mandate because it considered the technology imperfect at the time. The regulation was later thrown out by a court ruling.
Mr. Reagle said he learned from his defeat on antilock brakes that it would be more effective to include the industry when devising plans for trucking safety.
Under his guidance, OMC participated in the first Truck and Bus Safety Summit in 1995, a conference where drivers and industry representatives met with regulators and government officials to exchange ideas on safe transportation.
Mr. Reagle consulted industry sources such as American Trucking Associations when collecting information to frame new rules.
During his tenure, OMC sought to install “zero-based” regulations, regenerated from the ground up. The office would set a standard of safety but would not tell the industry how to meet it. Such a practice led to waivers for good drivers who were unable to meet vision requirements to keep their commercial licenses. It also allowed some trucking companies with good safety histories more leeway in recording their driver’s hours of service.
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