DRIVE-SAFE Act

Structured Training for Young Drivers: The bill establishes a two-step probationary period that requires apprentices to demonstrate competence in essential skills like safety awareness, lane control, and maneuvering (Section 2(c)(1) and 2(c)(2)).

Enhanced Safety Standards: Apprentices are required to drive vehicles equipped with automatic or automatic manual transmissions, active braking collision mitigation systems, and forward-facing video event capture (Section 2(c)(3)(A)).

Supervised Learning: To ensure safety during training, the bill requires that an apprentice be accompanied in the cab of the commercial motor vehicle by an experienced driver (Section 2(c)(3)(B)).

Clear Path to Professionalism: The program provides a clear path from an initial 120-hour period through a 280-hour period to complete the apprenticeship (Section 2(c)(1) and 2(c)(6)).

Strict Requirements for Employers: Employers must ensure that they maintain specific records regarding an apprentice's performance benchmarks as required by the Secretary (Section 2(c)(4)).

Mandatory Remediation: If an apprentice is involved in a preventable accident or a pointed moving violation, they are required to undergo remediation and additional training before they can demonstrate competence again (Section 2(c)(5)).

Equipment Limitations: Apprentices are restricted to driving specific types of vehicles that include certain technologies, which may limit the variety of equipment they can use during their training (Section 2(c)(3)(A)).