Letters to the Editor: Does English-language proficiency really affect truck driver safety?

To the editor: Columnist Gustavo Arellano proclaims that language proficiency in truck drivers doesn’t affect safety (“Trump is wrong. My dad was a trucker, and he didn’t need much English to do his job,” May 7). I disagree; I’ve received numerous traffic citations in Europe because I didn’t understand European road signs.

Also, Arellano conveniently cites data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration that the rate of fatal crashes is three times less than in the 1970s. He doesn’t, however, cite the more recent statistics from the National Security Council, which in 2022 showed a 49% increase in fatal crashes involving large trucks over the previous decade.

Giuseppe Mirelli, Los Angeles

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To the editor: I say “bravo” to the comment by Arellano’s dad: “The person who doesn’t speak English works harder.” Originally from Chihuahua, Mexico, my dear mom, with her limited English skills, still managed to work and live happily in Texas, California and Illinois. She was always surrounded by church friends, merchants and family members who predominantly spoke Spanish. She never complained or felt out of place for not fully understanding English.

This is America, a country of immigrants from all parts of the world. There are other ethnic communities in the U.S. where their U.S. and foreign-born citizens predominantly speak their native languages, and no one questions them. Perhaps as Americans, we’d be a better and closer-knit nation if more of us learned a second language. I highly recommend Español.

Armando Cepeda, Anaheim
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To the editor: It seems that the best strategy for minimizing the number of trucker-involved accidents is less about ensuring English-language proficiency and more about having fewer big rigs on the road.

Toward that goal, the Trump administration has adopted the perfect mix of policies. As our ports are slowing down due to extreme tariffs, there will be far fewer trucks traveling to and from cities like Long Beach. Immigration polices, too, could mean less produce to move to markets due to pickers being afraid to go to work, leading to less truck traffic to and from the Central Valley. Problem solved!

Richard Shafarman, Santa Clarita