The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)?s Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training (CMV-OST) grant program provides financial assistance to States, local government, Federally Recognized Native American Tribal Governments, accredited post-secondary educational institutions (public

credit:

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or private) such as colleges, universities, vocational-technical schools, associations, truck driver training schools, and other section 501(c)(3), non-profit organizations to train current and future commercial motor vehicle drivers in the safe operation of commercial motor vehicles (CMV).

Improving the safety of the Nation?s transportation system is a top priority of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

To meet this priority, FMCSA established a goal of reducing the rate of large truck- and bus-related fatalities to no more than 0. 16 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) by 2011 from a baseline rate of 0. 184 per 100 million VMT in 200 5. Recent figures show that:
? In 2008, the rate of large truck- and bus-related fatalities dropped to 0. 152 per 100 million VMT.

? Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicate that the truck-involved fatality rate on the Nation's roadways declined 12 percent in 2008 compared to 200 7. The number of truck-related crash fatalities dropped from 4,822 in 2007 to 4,229 in 200 8. These figures demonstrate solid progress in reducing the large truck and bus fatality rates; however, we must continue to focus on innovative CMV safety strategies if we are to maintain these impressive results.

Investing grant monies in appropriate CMV safety programs increases the likelihood that safety defects, driver deficiencies, and unsafe motor carrier practices are detected and corrected before they become contributing factors to crashes.

The CMV-OST grant program was established by Section 4134 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act:A Legacy for Users (Pub.

L.

109-59, August 10, 2005) as a program to provide Federal financial assistance on a discretionary basis to entities and organizations that train current and future operators of a CMV(as defined in 49 U.S.C.

31301) in the safe operations of such vehicles.

The CMV-OST grant program has two specific goals:
1. Expand the number of Commercial Drivers License holders possessing enhanced operator safety training in order to reduce the severity and number of crashes on U. S. roads involving commercial motor vehicles; and 2. Assist economically distressed regions of the U. S. by providing workforce training opportunities for qualified individuals to become commercial motor vehicle operators.