TRANSPORTATION - BTS - Bureau of Transportation Statistics

Keys to the FutureOn January 1, 2000, the FMCSA began its life with the ambitious goal of reducing fatalities incrashes involving trucks and buses by 50 percent over the next 10 years. This target, thecenterpiece of the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Action Plan, was announced by theSecretary of Transportation in May 1999.Current trends suggest that over the next 25 years, the number of large trucks and their VMTmay continue to grow significantly. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) andthe expanding international freight trade also may create more truck traffic. If truck travelcontinues to grow at its current rate, the miles traveled will increase by approximately55 percent by 2025 to more than 300 million truck-miles per year. Giventhis growth rate, large truck fatalities would be expected to increase to over 8,300in 2025 if the current fatality rate of 2.7 fatalities per 100 million miles traveleddoes not change. However, we can do better. Our stretch goal of reducing motorcarrier-related fatalities by 50 percent by 2010 will propel further reductions by2025. The FMCSA and the trucking industry will be challenged to reduce deaths while themotor carrier industry grows rapidly. The major challenges likely to be faced include:collecting accurate information to allow field staff to focus on motor carriers anddrivers identified as the highest safety risks and to remove problem carriers anddrivers from the road;increasing safety awareness among the driving public on how they can better copewith trucks and buses on the highways;increasing safety awareness among commercial drivers and safety personnel in thearea of fatigue recognition and management;developing standards for the many new motor carriers expected to enter the industry;and,using technology advances—crash avoidance systems, early hazard detection,countermeasures for driver fatigue, and roadside brake examination on movingvehicles—to increase safety in the truck and bus industries.Possible long-range solutions include:imposing crashworthiness requirements to reduce fatalities in truck/car collisions,requiring new carriers to demonstrate knowledge of existing safety regulations,setting aggressive and accountable goals for states to reduce fatalities,imposing stiffer requirements on CDL applicants for traffic and drug- and alcoholrelatedviolations, andestablishing a National Commission to study how economic considerations mayaffect drivers’ decisions to drive for longer periods without rest.The momentum developed to meet the 2010 goals could propel us to even higher levels ofsafety. While crashes involving large trucks are frequently deemed not to be the fault of theoperator of the truck, advanced technological systems installed in trucks together withcarefully targeted investments will continue to reduce large truck-related fatalities. By 2025, atarget of reducing fatalities far beyond the 50 percent goal by 2010 is entirely feasible.3-31