SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 95

47th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2005

INTRODUCED BY

John C. Ryan

A JOINT MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE MOTOR TRANSPORTATION DIVISION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY TO ANALYZE AND REPORT ON THE SAFETY BENEFITS THAT WOULD RESULT FROM INCREASED BRAKE INSPECTION OF COMMERCIAL MOTOR CARRIER VEHICLES.

     WHEREAS, in the Motor Carrier Safety Act, the legislature has found that the safe operation of commercial motor carrier vehicles on New Mexico highways is of "utmost public concern"; and

     WHEREAS, commercial motor carrier vehicles travel approximately ten million miles per day in New Mexico; and

     WHEREAS, more than twelve thousand commercial motor carrier vehicles enter the state each day; and

     WHEREAS, the motor transportation division of the department of public safety is responsible for inspecting commercial motor carrier vehicles for compliance with the state's safety standards; and

     WHEREAS, a critical component of safety inspections of commercial motor carrier vehicles is the brake system and performance of the brakes; and

     WHEREAS, nationally, brake problems are in the top ten of safety violations found during commercial motor carrier vehicle inspections; and

      WHEREAS, in federal fiscal year 2004, the motor transportation division inspected seventy-four thousand commercial motor carrier vehicles, but less than twelve thousand inspections included inspection of a vehicle's brakes; and

     WHEREAS, the motor transportation division has limited resources and a high turnover in trained employees due to noncompetitive salaries, thus restricting its ability to conduct an increased number of brake inspections; and

     WHEREAS, due to limited access to available technology, most brake inspections in this state must be performed manually, requiring motor transportation division employees to physically get under a commercial motor carrier vehicle to measure brake wear; and

     WHEREAS, there is available infrared and computerized brake inspection technology, that can screen brake wear of a commercial motor carrier vehicle in just a few minutes; and

     WHEREAS, the motor transportation division does own some modern brake inspection equipment, but the approximate three-hundred-thousand-dollar ($300,000) cost of an infrared unit, for example, prohibits the division from obtaining additional equipment;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the motor transportation division of the department of public safety be requested to study how to enhance public safety by performing more inspections of commercial motor carrier vehicle brakes, including:

          A. the use and cost of acquiring additional infrared, computerized or other state-of-the-art inspection equipment;

          B. the cost of retaining trained personnel to operate that equipment;

          C. contracting with the private sector for brake inspection; and

          D. performing annual brake inspections at registration time or some other time as the division deems appropriate; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the motor transportation division of the department of public safety report the findings of its study to the appropriate interim legislative committee before the second session of the forty-seventh legislature; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the secretary of public safety, the director of the motor transportation division and the co-chairs of the New Mexico legislative council.

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