By Sandy Long

We are inundated with statistics from all sides about how many people are involved in large truck crashes and how truckers are always at fault. Organizations are formed to lobby for more regulations to be put on trucks and truckers using those same statistics to fuel sympathetic public opinion, and then the general media jump on the bandwagon with their fear mongering stories about all of the people killed by truck drivers. Most of us truckers just take the media reports and the statistics given by the anti-truck lobbyists as gospel; should we though?

Though statistics on crashes involving all sorts of vehicles are available from several government agencies, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is likely the most comprehensive site with statistics about all vehicles. Comparing the statistics for 2006 and 2007 makes for an interesting read while all the statistics plainly show that truckers are not the highway killers we are thought of being.

In 2007 there were 4,808 fatalities involving large trucks. 802 of those fatalities were the drivers of the truck; 502 were truck drivers in single vehicle crashes, 300 were truck drivers in multi-vehicle crashes. 3,601 were occupants in other vehicles, 405 were non-occupants (pedestrians and bicyclists). The numbers were slightly higher in 2006; 5,027 total fatalities, 805 were truck drivers with 500 in single vehicle accidents and 305 in multi-vehicle crashes. 3,797 were occupants in other vehicles with 425 being non-occupants. This means there was a decrease in fatalities involving large trucks of 4.4% between 2006 and 2007.

On the other hand, car and light truck crashes account for many more fatalities each year, in 2007, there were 28,933 fatalities down 5.7% from 2006. Motorcycle accidents accounted for 5,154 fatalities in 2007 up from 2006 where there were 4,837 fatalities. Alcohol was involved in 12,998 fatalities in 2007 down 3.7% from a total of 13,491 in 2006.

Injuries from traffic crashes provide high numbers. Passenger cars and light trucks; 2007: 2,491,000, 2006: 2,575,000 (yes, those numbers are millions), against the amount of people injured in traffic crashes involving large trucks: 23,000 for both 2007 and 2006 (this does not differentiate whether it was truck drivers injured or other type vehicle occupants). Motorcycles causing injury again come in with high numbers; 2007: 103,000 against 88,000 in 2006.

In a 33 month long study done by the FMCSA for congress from 2001 to 2003, statistics were collected from 24 sites in 17 states. These statistics were then extrapolated out to represent all crashes involving large trucks during that time period. Interestingly, the 967 actual accidents studied ended up representing a supposed number of 144,000 accidents for statistical purposes. The primary focus of this study was to find what caused most accidents involving trucks.

“Driver recognition and decision errors were the most often cited reason for both trucks and passenger vehicles. Truck drivers, however, were coded less frequently for both driving performance errors and non-performance problems (e.g., asleep, sick, incapacitated) than passenger vehicle drivers. In crashes between trucks and passenger vehicles, driving too fast for conditions and fatigue were important factors cited for both drivers. However, fatigue was coded twice as often for passenger vehicle drivers and speeding more often for truck drivers.” The study also found that illegal drug use and alcohol were very rarely found as factors in the truck drivers tested after a crash, though it was often a factor found in the drivers of passenger vehicles.

Looking at the numbers that are available easily on the internet one wonders why truckers and the trucking industry are being so maligned and regulated to death; we never hear or read a story about the millions killed and injured in crashes that do not involve trucks each year. Just looking at the difference for 2007 between the fatalities between crashes involving large trucks and crashes with only passenger vehicles, 4,808 and 28,933 respectively, then the number of motorcycle and alcohol related fatalities, 5,154 and 12,998 again respectively, it would appear that truckers and the trucking industry are being singled out for some purpose, some would say unfairly. Fatalities involving large trucks are much lower than for any other type of vehicle, yet we do not see laws affecting motorcycles or cars being pushed by anti-truck lobbyists.

Can we improve our numbers, yes, of course we can, there is always room for improvement and any death caused by us is unacceptable. However, the numbers show that we are professionals for the most part and do our best to do no harm. The numbers also show that we have something to be proud of instead of hanging our heads in shame as some think we ought to do. When you think of all the millions of miles driven by truckers, we are not doing so badly after all, it is all in your perspective.

Comment from Sandy Long, I wrote this article in early 2008, the statistics have remained fairly stagnent since then.
ladygodiva1953@yahoo.com

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