NAFTA: Proceed, but with Caution

The problems swirling around the twin issues of safety and insurance with regards to allowing commercial trucks from Mexico free access to U.S. highways are as thorny as a prickly pear cactus.

The U.S. House of Representatives at the end of November made an attempt at stripping the thorns off that cactus by passing legislation that would allow long haul truckers from Mexico to travel the nation’s roads, as long as they meet tough safety requirements. The measure approved by the House is a compromise that allows President Bush to move forward in his efforts to strengthen ties with Mexico while protecting safety standards for all commercial vehicles operating on U.S. highways.

The deal approved by the House is part of a transportation package that is expected to be approved by the Senate, and follows a House vote last summer to ban all Mexican carriers beyond the narrow commercial zone along the U.S.-Mexico border to which they are currently limited. Bush threatened to veto such legislation.

The House did the right thing. Living up to our agreements with foreign countries, especially neighbors like Mexico and Canada, is important. But so is the safety on U.S. highways. By retaining many of the strict requirements laid down by the Senate in a separate vote earlier this year—requirements that the White House criticized at the time as being overly protectionist—the House firmly established that while living up to our obligations under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is important, the safety of our nation’s highways comes first.

The compromise ended months of wrangling by the administration and Congress over the issue. In a statement, Bush noted that the measure is “an important victory for safety and free trade.” He added, “We must promote the highest levels of safety and security on American highways, while meeting our commitments to our friends to the south.”

Cautiously optimistic about the plan, Mexican officials expressed hope that Mexican commercial trucks would be able to travel U.S. highways beginning Jan. 1. That is unlikely to happen, given the stringent nature of the requirements.

While the safety regulations under the plan are rigorous, border states—Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California—should not kick back and assume that the federal government has it all under control. After all these states have the most at stake when those trucks come rumbling across the border.

Interstate Highway 35 slices through the heart of Texas on its way from Laredo to the Canadian border and is a nasty piece of highway on a good day. It is essential that all commercial (and non-commercial) vehicles, no matter their country of origin, be safe, well-maintained and insured as they travel this highway and all others in their journeys around the nation. The House’s stand is a good first step; let’s keep the pace by being vigilant about supporting those requirements.

As this year comes to an end, the Insurance Journal-Texas wishes you a happy and healthy holiday season. We’ll see you next year with a new outlook and a new name—Insurance Journal-Texas & South Central—to reflect our expanded coverage area, which will include Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma.