Lawmakers, looking to make drug tests tougher to beat, have proposed testing truckers' hair when they are pulled over for a random drug test.

As part of a federal crackdown on drugged driving, lawmakers have asked the United States Department of Transportation to study whether or not the federal administration should be able to take hair samples, which makes for a more accurate drug detection test.

Drug use is widespread in the trucking industry. Many truck drivers take methamphetamine to stay awake, and continue driving for long periods of time, while modifying their driving logs to reflect periods of rest. Methamphetamines can keep a person awake for long periods of time, however, once the drug begins to wear off, extreme fatigue may set in and the driver can doze off while driving, raising the risk of an accident.

The conventional drug test involves a urine sample to check for the presence of the drug, but there are several pills available that claim to eliminate all traces of the drug from urine. Proponents of the hair test claim that it will be more reliable in detecting drug use.

Traces of a drug remain in the hair for a longer period of time, and lawmakers believe there is a much better chance of detecting drug use if the detection test uses the trucker's hair.