The Trucker Newspaper - November 15, 2018

6 • November 15-30, 2018 Nation
THETRUCKER.COM
Safety board chairman says increase in highway deaths ‘completely preventable’
THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES
WASHINGTON — Highway crashes
claimed the lives of 37,133 people in 2017, accounting
for 95 percent of the 38,958 who died
in transportation-related accidents that year,
according to data provided by the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration and
released by the National Transportation Safety
Board.
The data indicate 712 fewer people died in
transportation accidents in 2017, compared with
the 39,670 who died in 2016.
Aviation, marine and highway deaths decreased
while rail and pipeline fatalities increased.
Rail experienced the largest increase
with 58 more deaths in 2017 than the 703 fatalities
in 2016.
While 673 fewer people died in highway
crashes in 2017 compared to 2016, highway fatalities
continued to represent 95 percent of all
transportation fatalities.
“Highway crashes are completely preventable,”
said NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt.
“Implementation of the 369 open NTSB highway
safety recommendations, including the 22 recommendations
related to speeding, have the potential
to prevent crashes, save lives and significantly
reduce the carnage on our nation’s roads.”
The NTSB is an independent federal agency
charged by Congress with investigating every
civil aviation accident in the United States
and significant accidents in other modes of
transportation.
According to NTSB, national transportation
fatality statistics for calendar year 2017
also revealed:
• Aviation deaths decreased from 412 in
2016 to 350 in 2017. While general aviation
showed the largest decrease with 56 fewer
deaths, general aviation again accounted for 94
percent of all aviation fatalities.
• Recreational boating accidents killed 43
fewer people in 2017 than in 2016, but 27
mariners died in commercial fishing in 2017,
compared to 17 in 2016. Overall, there were
39 fewer deaths in marine transportation compared
to the 733 fatalities in 2016.
• Highway fatalities decreased from 37,806
in 2016 to 37,133 in 2017, and crashes involving
passenger cars, light trucks and vans, pedestrians,
motorcycles, pedal cycles and buses resulted in
fewer deaths, but deaths associated with crashes
involving medium and heavy trucks increased to
841 in 2017 compared with 725 in 2016.
Preliminary aviation accident statistics show
a slight decrease in the number of U.S. civil aviation
accidents, with 1,316 in 2017 compared to
1,335 in 2016. There were 10 fewer fatal general
aviation accidents in 2017 than in 2016, and the
fatal accident rate remained below one fatal accident
per 100,000 flight hours.
“The approaching Thanksgiving holiday
weekend is typically the busiest travel weekend
of the year in the United States and marks
the start of the holiday travel season,” Sumwalt
said. “The NTSB reminds travelers that speed,
distracted, impaired and drowsy driving are key
factors in highway fatalities.”
The preliminary aviation accident statistics
are tracked and compiled by the NTSB. The U.S.
Department of Homeland Security provides marine
statistics, and the U.S. Department of Transportation
provides statistics for all other modes.
A link to the data tables for transportation
fatalities for all modes may be found online at
https://go.usa.gov/xPySY. 8
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