What is the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse?

On Behalf of | Dec 7, 2020 | Commercial Vehicle Accidents

Impaired driving contributes to too many injuries and deaths in Louisiana and around the nation. The senseless and negligent operation of any vehicle on the part of a person under the influence of drugs or alcohol should never happen. Yet, it does.

The Federal Motor Carrier and Safety Administration, tasked with overseeing the commercial transportation industry, created its Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse as part of its effort to prevent impaired operation by people with commercial driving licenses.

Information included in the Clearinghouse

The online database houses results for any substance test taken by a person with a commercial driver’s license or commercial learner’s permit. The database also reports on any substance violation and indicates when a driver may take a test to return to duty. A violation may include a driver’s refusal to provide a breath or other sample. A blood alcohol level of 0.04% or higher also results in a violation.

Employer queries of the database

Before hiring a new driver, an employer submits a query to the Clearinghouse to ensure no substance violations exist. The Clearinghouse rule also mandates that employers query the database once a year for every existing employee. Violations may prevent a person’s ability to driver or perform other duties.

Required employer reporting

Employers must report any substance violation, test refusal or test failure to the Clearinghouse within three days of learning about the issue.

This information is not intended to provide legal advice but is instead meant to give residents in Louisiana an overview of the federal program established to monitor substance violations by truckers and other commercial vehicle drivers.

 

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