ATA Outlines Safety Agenda

American Trucking Associations Tuesday announced a new safety agenda that the group said will reduce crashes while saving lives and money.

At a press conference in Washington, officials spoke of the benefits they expect from the industry’s 18-point safety plan.

“While the trucking industry is now the safest it has been since the U.S. Department of Transportation began keeping crash statistics in 1975, we must continue to further the trend,” ATA President Bill Graves said.

The plan includes tools for truck drivers, such as a clearinghouse for drug and alcohol tests for commercial drivers, ATA said.

Its agenda also covers non-commercial drivers, advocating for increased use of seat belts, graduated licensing standards for teen drivers and automated speed and red-light cameras.

The agenda also pushes for safer trucks, advocating crashworthiness standards and speed governors on large trucks and recommend requiring safety training for new carriers.