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ATA Says FMCSA Strategic Plan Doesn't Go Far Enough

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's dra ft Five-Year Strategic Plan does not do enough to address crashes, says the American Trucking Associations in comments filed July 29.

ATA said the plan "represents a genuine effort on the part of the agency to listen to, and incorporate, the recommendations of stakeholders." It commended FMCSA for acknowledging the need to address all entities that affect truck and driver safety, especially the operators of passenger vehicles with which trucks share the road.

However, the plan does not sufficient address the root causes of crashes, and prioritize countermeasures and solutions accordingly, the trucking group said.

For instance, though motorists' behavior plays a significant role in a substantial percentage of truck crashes, only a couple of strategies within one of the draft plan's 10 goals addresses impacting this behavior. ATA also said that the core principles of the plan focused exclusively on motor carriers.

By minimizing the emphasis on motorists, FMCSA will, at best, only impact the minority of truck crashes, perhaps less than 30%, caused by truck drivers, ATA said.

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