Steve Williams, founder of the Alliance for Driver Safety & Security, recently released a statement recommitting the trucking industry to safety objectives for the coming year.
In 2018, large-truck crashes injured 145,000 people and killed 4,761 others. The number of truck drivers killed reached its highest level in a decade.
“For an industry that wants to improve its image…look no further than these statistics,” Williams said. “We must aggressively address these tragic figures. But how can we when the trucking industry will deliver even more freight in 2019 over highways that are even more congested?”
Williams offered six suggestions.
The first step, Williams said, is for the industry to support progressive safety reforms and to adopt initiatives that will improve truck drivers’ work days. The use of electronic logging devices should be expanded because they make the supply chain more efficient.
Drug testing must also be improved, he said. The test required by the Department of Transportation fails to detect as many as nine out of 10 drug users.
Other suggestions include having reasonable speed limits for large trucks, installing forward collision warning systems, and compensating the victims of large truck crashes.
Owning a trucking company is a privilege, Williams said, and the alliance will work to eliminate large truck fatalities.
“That’s why it should be difficult for people to get into this industry,” he said. “It will be increasingly hard to stay in this industry, as it should be. In so doing, we will have much safer highways for all and an economic opportunity to build a safe and efficient supply chain for the future.