U.S. Trucking Industry Ends Century on Safe Note; Accident Trends at Historic Lows

17 December 1999
U.S. Trucking Industry Ends Century on Safe Note; Accident Trends at Historic Lows
    ALEXANDRIA, Va., Dec. 16 --Walter B. McCormick, Jr.,
President and CEO of the American Trucking Associations (ATA) today announced
that the most recent federal statistics show significant improvements in
several major truck safety categories, making the 1990's the industry's safest
decade ever.
    Highlighting the truck safety success story is a 34% drop in the large
truck fatal crash rate over the past ten years to an all-time low.  The new
rate is 2.3 fatal crashes per 100 million miles traveled (VMT).  The rate of
large trucks involved in injury and property damage accidents dropped 35% and
25%, respectively.
    "Our responsible motor carriers and their professional truck drivers take
highway safety seriously," said McCormick.  "They deserve credit for making
the significant safety improvements that have produced this record."
    The industry's strong support for increased roadside inspections --
specifically targeting below-standard trucks -- has resulted in a 46% drop in
the number of trucks put out of service for safety defects over the last 10
years.
    Drug use among truck drivers is also at an all time low.  The latest
random drug testing of drivers produced less than 1.5% positive results.  And,
truck drivers continue to be the least likely to be cited for alcohol use in
fatal crashes where alcohol is a factor.
    The industry also points to its outreach efforts as having a role in
improving safety.  To counteract the results of a University of Michigan
Transportation Research Institute study indicating that 68 to 70% of crashes
between cars and large trucks are the result of an error by the car driver,
ATA oversees the "How-To-Drive" program which teaches motorists how to safely
share the road with large trucks.  This highly successful initiative has
already reached more than 13 million households this year.
    McCormick concluded: "Though this century began without trucks, we're
closing it with the trucking industry earning 82% of all freight revenue.
This success, while at the same time pushing a strong safety agenda, motivates
us to continue to work in partnership with federal and state governments to
make our roads even safer for the 21st century."