Farm workers' poor driving skills threaten road safety

[Kadie]

Posted on Wed, Dec. 07, 2005


Farm workers' poor driving skills threaten road safety

JULIANA BARBASSA

Associated Press


VISALIA, Calif. - Farm workers know when an orange is ripe for picking or how to prune a peach tree, but many have poor driving skills, which puts everyone's lives at risk, road safety experts said Wednesday.

"A lot of them just don't know how to drive," said Abel Serrano, one of about 20 farm labor contractors and farm representatives who came to Visalia to hear about the Farm Worker Motor Vehicle Safety program developed by the California State University, Fresno.

Many farm workers are recent immigrants who can't read road signs in English and didn't start driving until arriving in California's farm belt. Often, they're undocumented and can't apply for driver's licenses or take a driver's education class, said Bert Mason, a professor of agricultural economics at Fresno State who helped develop the program.

Although farming is dangerous work, field workers are four times more likely to die from an accident on their way to work than at the work site because they lack basic driving skills, according to the Department of Industrial Relations.


more...
http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/news/13352484.htm

[NVMojo]

1. What poor driving skills? Farmers own the road, don't they?

[Dark]

2. Illegal Immigrants can't drive! STOP THE PRESSES! n/t

[greenisin]

3. Let's just punish...

the politically helpless people further.

> field workers are four times more likely to die from an accident on their way to work

And I'm probably six times more likely to die from an accident on my way to work than a rich Republican because I'm always sleepy from working two jobs. The migrant workers have to work a lot of hours when they can get them. I'd guess that's easily the number one cause for the difference. Get the workers fair pay for a fair work and work year around, and I would be very surprised if the accident rate didn't drop dramatically, but instead they want to pick on the helpless.

[newyawker99]

5. Hi greenisin!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[lpbk2713]

4. Brings up an interesting point of law question.....

If I'm driving along in a lawful manner and someone (not necessarily Mexican) broadsides me and injures me seriously and it can be proven that this driver is not familiar with the English language and it can also be proven that if this driver was able to read pertinent road signs in the area of, and just prior to, the accident it may not have happened.

Question: Could I bring suit for damages against the state for issuing this driver a license when it turned out this driver was not qualified to drive by virtue of his/her being unfamiliar with the English language, specifically not being able to read road signs and other posted warnings.

I guess most states have a written test as well as a driving test. Do applicants take a written test printed in their own language? Are they allowed to take a written test that is printed in English with the help of a translater?