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CVSA: Roadside inspections play a major role in historic drop in truck-related deaths

WASHINGTON — The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) attributes historic gains in large truck safety to increased roadside inspections and traffic enforcement. In data released Sept. 9 by the Department of Transportation, the total number of fatalities involving large trucks decreased 20 percent from 4,542 in 2008 to 3,380 last year.

“This recent data is excellent news and underscores how important roadside inspections and traffic enforcement activities are to saving lives,” said CVSA’s Executive Director Stephen A. Keppler. “Congress needs to pass a transportation bill that will provide the necessary resources to continue these trends in the right direction and ultimately help us reach our goal of zero deaths. States and their local agency partners must be adequately funded to continue to perform the vital commercial motor vehicle (CMV) inspections and enforcement that have a major impact on commercial vehicle safety.”

The decline in commercial motor vehicle-related deaths since the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) was established in 2000 is seen as a result of federal funding made available by Congress to the states through the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP). MCSAP’s goal is to reduce CMV-involved crashes, fatalities, and injuries through consistent, uniform, and effective CMV safety programs.

“FMCSA deserves credit for taking an important leadership role,” added Keppler. “Implementing programs like CSA 2010 is helping create a much needed culture change in safety across this country.”

There were 5,380 truck-related deaths recorded in 1999 according to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). In 2005, the death toll was 5,240 and has trended downward steadily since. The number of injuries in large truck crashes also fell 26 percent from 23,000 in 2008 to 17,000 in 2009. Also, data shows not only a significant drop in fatalities of large truck occupants — 682 in 2008 to 503 in 2009, a 26 percent decline — but, historic lows of all traffic-related deaths on U.S. roadways. The decline in truck occupant deaths seem to indicate that more drivers and passengers are buckling up, which is a good sign.

“Today’s report shows a 20 percent decline in the number of fatalities involving large commercial trucks, the lowest number since the U.S. Department of Transportation began collecting motor vehicle traffic fatalities data in 1975. This significant gain in commercial truck safety shows that ongoing enforcement efforts and our partnerships with state and local law enforcement are making a difference,” said FMCSA Administrator Anne S. Ferro. “Yet, FMCSA will not rest until there are zero commercial truck-related fatalities on our roads. We are committed to using every resource available to strengthen commercial truck safety and save lives.”  

CVSA has forged strong partnerships with industry, other associations and federal agencies like FMCSA who are all dedicated to working together to reduce the number of truck and bus-related crashes. In addition to Operation Safe Driver, CVSA conducts year round programs focused on educating the commercial vehicle industry. Such programs include Roadcheck, the largest targeted enforcement program on commercial vehicles in the world during a 72-hour period in early June and Operation Air Brake. Brake Safety Week 2010 (which takes place September 12-18, 2010), is an ongoing effort dedicated to improving inspection, compliance, maintenance, and performance of commercial vehicle braking systems throughout North America.

CVSA is an international not-for-profit organization comprised of local, state, provincial, territorial, and federal motor carrier safety officials and industry representatives from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Our mission is to promote commercial motor vehicle safety and security by providing leadership to enforcement, industry and policy makers. The Alliance actively monitors, evaluates, and identifies solutions to potentially unsafe transportation processes and procedures related to driver and vehicle safety requirements most often associated with commercial motor vehicle crashes. In addition, CVSA has several hundred associate members who are committed to helping the Alliance achieve its goals; uniformity, compatibility and reciprocity of commercial vehicle inspections, and enforcement activities throughout North America by individuals dedicated to highway safety and security. For more on CVSA, visit www.cvsa.org.

The Trucker staff can be reached for comment at [email protected].

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