As an Owner Operators and Lease Purchasers trucking company that is serious about trucking safety, we at Paramount Freight Systems were excited to see news that fatal trucking accidents were down in 2014, continuing a 10-year improvement in highway safety for the trucking industry.
According to the new report by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), fatal truck accidents were down 3.7 percent for 2014 and almost 40 percent overall since 2004.
“While the one-year decline being reported by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is positive, the long-term trend is of paramount importance, and that trend is impressive,” said Bill Graves, president of the American Trucking Association, in a press release. “The number of crashes involving large trucks had fallen 39 percent since 2004 and while there is much more to do, that is a figure our professional drivers, our safety directors, our technicians and our safety partners in federal and state law enforcement can be proud of.”
Here at PFS we couldn’t agree more. We are a safety-first company, always stressing the importance of safety with our drivers in all that we do in hauling freight for our customers. We even have a safety bonus program that rewards drivers for accident-free driving. Trucking safety is part of who we are.
We like to write and share news about trends and reports related to the trucking industry. That’s why we had to share news about this latest federal report, the FMCSA’s Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts 2014.
Other findings from the new report include the following:
- The amount of miles driven by large trucks increased by 1.5 percent in 2014. That increase in miles, coupled with the decrease in truck-involved crashes, brought the truck-involved fatality rate down to 1.40 per 100 million miles. That makes for a 2.9 percent decline from 2013 and a total decline of 40.1 percent since 2004.
- The number of large trucks that were involved in fatal crashes decreased to 3,744 in 2014. That number is down 5 percent from 2013 to 2014 and down 23.6 percent since 2004
- The injury crash rate for large trucks, which is currently 0.29 per 100 million miles, continues to be about half that of passenger vehicles at 0.58 per 100 million miles.
- Speed is still the top driver-related factor in fatal crashes. That’s why the ATA has advocated returning to a 65 mph national speed limit and the mandatory use of electronic devices that would limit the top speed of large trucks.
These annual reports help us to see our industry is continuing in the right direction.
While we like to see and share the news from reports like this, we know that putting safety first is a daily emphasis. If you have questions about this trucking safety article or about becoming an Owner Operators and Lease Purchasers for PFS, contact us today.
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Categorized in: Truck Safety