American Truckers At War

OKLAHOMA CITY — The federal government is investigating whether the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety violated the civil rights of Iranian immigrants by refusing to provide them with driver’s license tests in their native Farsi language.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched the investigation in March after a complaint filed on behalf of two Iranian nationals living in Bartlesville accused the state agency of unlawful discrimination based on their national origin, according to a letter from the NHTSA to Public Safety Commissioner Kevin Ward.

Public safety officials said Tuesday that offering state driver’s license tests in Farsi could force the state to offer tests and other state documents in a host of other languages, creating new costs and administrative burdens. The written portion of Oklahoma’s test is currently provided only in English and Spanish. More from TulsaWorld

The article further states the couple went to Kansas and passed their test using “graphic symbols” rather than words. Once they received a Kansas drivers license, they returned to Oklahoma where they exchanged the Kansas license for an Oklahoma license.

Considering most road signs in the US are in English, this should be considered a major safety issue. Do we really need drivers on the road who cannot read “Lane ends, merge left”? Will they soon start giving commerical drivers’ license (CDL) tests in other languages for those taking the test who cannot read and understand English?

Each states should give the drivers test, including CDL, in English only. No translators, no “graphic images”. Just English.

RTaylor