To the editor: Columnist Gustavo Arellano proclaims that language domain in truck drivers does not affect safety (“Trump is wrong. My dad was a truck driver, and he didn't need much English to do his job.” May 7). I do not agree; I have received numerous traffic appointments in Europe because I did not understand the European road signals.
In addition, Arellano appoints data from the Federal Motor Safety Administration data that the fatal accident rate is three times lower than in the 1970s. However, it does not cite the most recent statistics of the National Security Councilwhich in 2022 showed a 49% increase in fatal accidents that involve large trucks during the previous decade.
Giuseppe Mirelli, Los Angeles
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To the editor: I say “Bravo” to Arellano's father: “The person who does not speak harder works in English.” Originally from Chihuahua, Mexico, my dear mother, with her limited English skills, still managed to work and live happily in Texas, California and Illinois. It was always surrounded by friends, merchants and relatives of the church who spoke predominantly Spanish. She never complained or felt out of place for not fully understanding English.
This is the United States, a country of immigrants from all over the world. There are other ethnic communities in the United States where its American citizens and born abroad speak their native languages predominantly, and nobody questions them. Perhaps as Americans, we would be a better and closer nation if we learned more from us a second language. I strongly recommend Spanish.
Armando Cepeda, Anaheim
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To the editor: It seems that the best strategy to minimize the amount of accidents of truck drivers is less than guaranteeing the mastery of the English language and more than having less large platforms on the road.
Towards that goal, the Trump administration has adopted the perfect combination of policies. As our ports are slowing down due to extreme rates, there will be much fewer trucks that travel to and from cities like Long Beach. Immigration policies could also mean less products to move to markets because collectors are afraid to go to work, which leads to less truck traffic to and from the central valley. Problem solved!
Richard Shafarman, Santa Clarita
