WASHINGTON — Deaths and injuries resulting from crashes involving large trucks are increasing at a slower rate, but safety advocates assert regulators still are not doing enough to address the problem.
According to the latest estimates published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 5,936 people were killed in crashes involving medium- and heavy-duty trucks weighing over 10,000 lbs. (weight classes 3-8), a 2% increase from 5,821 deaths in 2021. That compares with estimates by the agency last year showing a 17% increase between 2020 and 2021.
NHTSA also estimated 160,608 injuries involved in such crashes in 2022, a 3.7% increase from 2021. That compared with a 9% increase in injuries between 2020 and 2021.
Despite the slower death and injury rates, the increasing numbers are “unacceptable,” according to the Truck Safety Coalition, a victim advocates group.
TSC noted that NHTSA’s latest data represents a 75% increase in truck crash fatalities since 2009. “Despite passenger vehicles being safer than ever, 97% of fatalities occur to passenger vehicle occupants in large truck crashes,” the group stated.
TSC Board President Tami Friedrich called on U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg “to take action and urgently proceed with rulemaking to require the use of speed limiters and automatic emergency braking in large trucks as soon as possible” — rulemakings strongly opposed by owner-operators. “No one else needs to die because of bureaucratic inaction.”
The group also urged DOT to require rear and side underride guards on all commercial trucks, and pushed FMCSA to initiate rulemaking requiring a knowledge test for new carriers to show they understand safety rules and regulations.
In addition, “existing safety measures must be protected, and industry-friendly rollbacks must be resisted, such as removing any requirements for direct supervision of commercial learner’s permit drivers who lack experience driving dangerous large trucks,” TSC stated.
Murray Scott Campbell
My first question is what are the rates per 100,000 miles. Are they staying the same or increasing or decreasing. There is far more traffic out there today than before. Covid gave us less travelled miles but since then the milage has gone back up. I think that a lot of drivers lost some of their skills over Covid. As for speed limiters , I believe that if everyone is near the same speed there are less problems. Right now I see fast trucks without the limiters taking chances to get around us that are using them. Automatic braking is a NO brainer!!!!! last data I saw was 30+ % fewer rear end accidents and 30+% plus less severity in the accidents that occur. SAFTY FIRST!!!
Barry
They don’t talk about who’s at fault because they don’t break out that data in their stats. Big truck accident = bad. If they counted CMV at fault only, I’m sure the number wouldn’t fit the desired narrative.
Tom pesavento
Do you think it’s just mere coincidence the truck accidents and fatalities have increased since the implementation of ELD’s. It’s time to face the fact that putting a stopwatch on your dashboard is not putting safety first. Hourly pay with overtime would guarantee drivers a predictable income, the same as most other workers The sad fact, is fast food workers in California make more money than most truck drivers
Brett
Why is there no information provided on the parties at fault in these accidents and whether these statistics have changed over this time as well (in addition to the determined causes of accidents within this scope)? The figures and quotes provided alone seem to indicate that commercial vehicle activity is becoming more dangerous (at least from 2021 to 2022). How many of these accidents are at fault of a commercial vehicle vs. non-commercial vehicle, and how did the determined causes of accidents change during this time period? Those seem to be significant factors that should be evaluated alongside the stats provided. That could help lead us to identifying the underlying trends that are actually impacting these figures. This article could have been more substantive and meaningful.
Jeff Powers
The Truck Safety Coalition needs to publish figures showing who was at fault in fatal truck / car crashes. They also need to publish figures showing who was at fault in all truck / car crashes. I believe the results might surprise them. Further, I feel if they advocate for speed limiters and automatic braking that these features should be required on all motor vehicles, not just heavy trucks. Travel in the right lane on any interstate highway in any state. Set your cruise control at 65. You will lose count of how many cars fly past at 10, 15, 20 mph over the speed limit. Trucks and drivers are surely in the wrong in some instances. But let’s not forget to point the finger of blame where it often belongs.
Victor
I would ask the simple question of how many of those fatalities were caused by the driver of the car or other light vehicle being the cause of the accident? 4 different studies by 3 different groups across the country showed that, on average, 75% of the accidents up to that time were the fault of the light vehicle, not the heavy truck. In those instances, obviously, none of these advocated rules would have done a thing to prevent those deaths. Yet the commercial vehicle industry is supposed to bear the cost and responsibility of being “safer” through more regulation when we didn’t cause the problem in the first place?
Backwards industry
Put more HOS regulation that will choke the drivers even more, Sure that’ll help
Larry W.Dennis
Stop writing. More policies and start enforcing the laws already in place.
Exsmple: Enforce construction zone speeds.