Trucking Safety Has Improved, But Challenges Remain, Industry Tells NTSB Forum

WASHINGTON — The trucking industry has made great strides in truck safety over the past decade, but numerous challenges remain as motor carriers and truck drivers cope with an increasingly tough regulatory environment, industry executives told the National Transportation Safety Board Tuesday.

Speaking Tuesday during the first day of a two-day NTSB forum, trucking and bus industry executives commented on a wide range of regulatory issues, from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s new Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program to a proposed hours-of-service rule and electronic recording devices requirement.

During the all-day session Tuesday, they also fielded questions from technical staff and board members of the NTSB as well as from several highway safety advocate groups. NTSB is a U.S. Department of Transportation agency, as is FMCSA.

The forum was designed to review the progress since the NTSB’s 1999-2000 hearings on truck and bus safety, discuss current issues and initiatives, and identify emerging issues that the NTSB should stay on top of for the next ten years.

“The fatality rate due to heavy vehicle accidents have been dropping steadily since 2005, and I can’t help but believe that this is largely due to the safety efforts of everyone assembled here,” NTSB board member Robert Sumwalt told the forum attendees.

Sumwalt, who chaired the forum, reminded truckers that since 1999, agency has launched over 40 major investigations involving heavy commercial vehicles and has issued over 400 recommendations to improve truck and bus safety.

Truck-related highway fatalities fell 14.1% to the lowest level on record in 2009, according to an analysis of Department of Transportation data by American Trucking Associations.

“These recommendations [include] data collection, driver fatigue, roadside barrier warrants, bus roof strength, driver distraction, collision avoidance technologies and many more,” Sumwalt said.

Click here to view Wednesday’s web feed of the truck and bus forum. (NTSB web link.)