Employers to screen professional drivers for violations

Until now, no legal possibility for an employer to view a potential driver’s conviction sheet before accepting them for a job as a truck or bus driver.

By RON FRIEDMAN
The National Road Safety Authority announced Wednesday that it had reached an agreement with the Justice Ministry that allows vehicle fleet safety officers to demand to see potential employees’ driving records before hiring them as drivers.
NRSA chairman Uriel Linn approached the justice minister on the issue upon learning that there was currently no legal possibility for an employer to view a potential driver’s conviction sheet before accepting them for a job as a truck driver or bus driver.
Moreover, an employer who hires a worker after seeing a conviction sheet could face up to two years in jail.
“The agreement reached today between the authority and the Justice Ministry is an expression of trust in the work of the NRSA. The agreement is an important part of the authority’s efforts to rally all the relevant government agencies to the battle against traffic accidents and to making Israel’s roads safer for us all,” Linn said.
“The NRSA sees great importance in reducing the number of susceptible drivers on Israel’s roads, especially when it comes to bus and truck drivers, who carry passengers or dangerous materials,” he added.
Following the agreement, the sides will begin advancing legislation to enable better supervision of professional drivers.