US truck-involved injuries, fatalities decline in 2008

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The most recent US crash statistics show that truck-involved fatality rate dropped 12.3% in 2008, marking the largest ever year-to-year drop and the fifth consecutive year of declines.

 

The timing couldn’t have been better for the American Trucking Associations, which finds itself defending the current US hours-of-service rules which are under review.

 

The 2008 truck-involved fatality rate hit 1.86 per 100 million miles in 2008, down from 2.12 in 2007.

 

“These latest figures underscore the trucking industry’s tremendous commitment to safety,” said Bill Graves, president and CEO of the ATA. “We continue to improve our safety performance while operating under the Hours-of-Service rules.”

 

The truck-involved fatality rate has plummeted more than 20% since the current HoS rules were implemented in 2005. It now stands at its lowest level since the US DoT began tracking the data in 1975, the ATA points out.

 

Injuries resulting from large truck crashes fell from 44.4 per 100 million miles in 2007 to 39.6 in 2008 – an 11% improvement.

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