Poll Finds Truck Drivers are Safer Than Passenger Vehicle Drivers
SAN DIEGO — The vast majority of people surveyed in a recent poll said they believe truck drivers are safer than everyday car drivers.
Compiled by the Virginia-based Public Opinion Strategies firm, the poll found that 80% of people believe truckers are safer than passenger vehicle drivers, while 90% of people believe passenger vehicle drivers are more likely to speed than truck drivers. Also, 65% of people said they have a favorable view of trucking in the country.
“In every region in the country, the image of the industry is above 60% positive, with the highest in the West and the South,” said Neil Newhouse on Oct. 6 at American Trucking Associations’ Management Conference & Exhibition event.
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Newhouse said 800 people were surveyed for the ATA-backed study, where one respondent said: “Without the trucking industry, we would have a lower standard of living.”
The poll also found that a majority of people agreed transportation infrastructure is aging and it needs to be upgraded, but they were unwilling to say how they would pay for new infrastructure projects.
ATA president and CEO Bill Graves said the poll “confirms that the public knows what we in the trucking industry have always known: professional truck drivers are dedicated, professional and safe."
