The National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that 10,657 people have been killed in truck-related accidents in the United States over the past two calendar years.
NHTSA also reports that in 1997 there were 308 fatalities in Florida alone in crashes involving large trucks.
The Washington-based American Insurance Association estimates that truck accidents cost the nation annually through lost work time, liability claims and increased costs for insurance and health coverage benefits the sum of $15 billion.
With statistics such as these there is obviously a need to reduce the number of crashes and deaths involving trucks. While it is true that the rate of fatalities has remained fairly steady despite a huge increase in truck traffic, over 5,000 deaths a year are far more than can be ignored.
In one recent case, two young Florida children were killed while accompanying their father in the cab of his truck on an interstate trip. The father had a very poor driving record in several states and was also killed in a crash that appeared to be the result of his improper driving. At present, there is no effective national reporting system to catch up with a bad truck driver who collects violations in multiple states.
Reports of drivers staying behind the wheel far too many consecutive hours are not uncommon. Despite these reports, the trucking industry still resists reasonable new standards, such as a proposal that drivers rest more between long hauls. The industry says this reform would force more rookie drivers onto the road, already claimed to be a problem.
The trucking industry is also fighting proposals to improve lax federal government oversight. For instance, Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-Va.), chairman of the House transportation subcommittee, wants the Office of Motor Carriers, the trucking regulator, moved to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. There the industry would receive more scrutiny, according to Wolf. A report by the U.S. inspector general has criticized the Motor Carriers Office, accusing it of inadequate inspections and failure to monitor repeat offenders.
In any collision between a truck and a smaller passenger vehicle the occupants of the passenger vehicle are at the greater risk of serious injury and death. Relatively minor damage to a truck can mean dramatic damage to an automobile. The relative weights and sizes of the vehicles generate forces in accordance with the laws of physics. The automobile is usually the loser.
Automobile drivers can help by giving the tractor-trailer drivers the room they need and the caution they deserve, especially at high speeds. Slightly more than one-third of truck accidents are caused by motorists who ignore truck drivers’ blind spots and the long distance it takes a rig to slow down or stop. Defensive driving in the vicinity of a large truck is mandatory. It can be a lifesaver.
