Focus on Safety: Trucking Industry

The trucking industry is filled with danger, but in recent years there has been a strong focus on safety. The factors which contribute most to the dangers of the trucking industry are: fatigue among drivers, collisions caused by non-truck drivers, and driving speed. Statistics on safety in trucking were brought forward by various sources which include The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and Jeff Mercadante of Pitt Ohio a company that is heavily involved in the trucking industry. Some of these statistics are presented and explained below.

Fatal Crashes involving large trucks decreased from 3,921 to 3,744

This statistic is significant because it shows that the overall rate of fatal crashes in the trucking industry is in decline. This fact can be most likely be attributed to the efforts of Motor carrier companies to focus on safety. New mechanisms such as the forward-collision prevention technology have been integral in the reduction of fatal collisions involving large trucks.

The number of miles traveled by large trucks has increased by 1.5%

As the previous statistic showed, the number of fatal collisions involving large trucks has declined. This is surprising, because the number of miles that large trucks have been covering has increased. This means that although trucks and their drivers are on the road more than ever the number of fatal crashes they are involved in is decreasing. The trend shown by increasing miles traveled and decreasing fatal crashes is an uplifting sign of the safety improvements that have been, and continue to be made within the trucking industry.

71% percent of fatal crashes involving a truck and a car are caused by the car driver.

The vast majority of serious crashes between a truck and a car are sparked by a mistake on the part of the car driver. The fact that more often than not truck drivers and their technology are not at fault in fatal crashes means that safety education should be primarily directed towards car drivers. The focus on safety that is present in the trucking industry has paid off, and now the burden of responsibility for most fatal collisions involving a car and truck lies with car drivers.

Video cameras can provide evidence in the case of a crash

Increasingly, video cameras are being incorporated into truck design in case of a crash. Having video evidence of a crash can often help allocate the responsibility for a collision. As the previous statistic showed the responsibility for a crash usually does not lie with the truck driver, and in cases such as these having video evidence can help keep truck drivers safe. Video cameras are only one of many new technologies which have been part of the overall industry’s movement towards safety in the trucking industry.

Source: Fleet Owner

“Helping our clients get jobs done since 1998.”