US truck deaths could hit six-year high

[UpInArms]

http://today.reuters.com/misc/PrinterFriendlyPopup.aspx?type=bondsNews&storyID=2006-03-06T234351Z_01_N06257235_RTRIDST_0_TRANSPORT-DEATHS.XML

WASHINGTON, March 6 (Reuters) - Deaths from crashes involving large trucks on U.S. roads could hit a six-year high when the first figures for 2005 are released this spring, according to the Transportation Department's preliminary estimates.

The agency projected in budget documents that deaths could rise by 116 from the previous year to 5,306. The last time deaths from truck crashes topped 5,300 was in 1999 at 5,380.

Deaths from truck-related crashes went up for a second-straight year in 2004 even though the number of truck-related crashes per 100 million miles traveled, an important safety indicator, fell to a 30-year low.

There were more than 4,800 large trucks, including tractor trailers, involved in fatal crashes in 2004, safety figures show.

<snip>

Consumer and safety groups have sued a second time to block rules on trucker hours and fatigue prevention, saying the Bush administration is shortchanging driver health.

Also, senior Democrats influential on transportation matters in the House of Representatives suggest the FMCSA is adrift and facing new uncertainty with its administrator, Annette Sanderg, set to leave at the end of the month.

...more...

Welcome to the *Co world of "we don't care if you die, profits are king!"

[BlueCollar]

1. airline mechanics are only required to be given 1 hour

of "crew rest" in a 24 hour period...at least truckers can fall back on their logbook.


edit: spelling

[brentspeak]

2. A year after Bush permamently relaxed truck driving rules

Those rules now say that truckers can spend up to 11 hours in a single stretch of driving, up from the previous 10 hours. This means that truckers might be on the roads up to 77 hours during a week, instead of the usual 60.

Exhausted truck drivers = more truck accidents. We saw this last month, when about 14 people were killed within a 24-hour period on American highways due to truck drivers' inattentiveness or maybe just falling asleep at the wheel. These new regulations apparently motivate companies to demand tighter deadlines from their truckers.

[Ken M]

3. Were they disproportionately close to Mexico?

NAFTA required that Mexican trucks be permitted on US highways. Whoever added that provision obviously never drove in Monterrey or Mexico City. If I'm not mistaken, it finally became effective recently.

[DiverDave]

4. Until we get "black boxes" and HIGHER pay, this will be the norm

I drive a truck, the new hours of service rules are a joke.
The only people that benefit are the company's.
The pay sucks, the hours are LONG and the stress to get the load to the receiver is incredible.
None of the owner-operators wants a tracking system.
Why?, they are paid so little that they HAVE to cheat.
The truck payments are 4000-5000 per month, coupled with diesel fuel costing MORE then premium gasoline= a tired truck driver.
Nobody understands the plight of the truck driver, they don't realize that if you bought it,it, or the materials to make it, came by truck.
Another factor is the shortage of drivers.
If a driver gets into an accident, he may be fired, but there are tons of company's that will hire him because if a truck is sitting, it ain't making money.
Inexperienced drivers, that REALLY shouldn't be driving, are put out there all the time.
If the government and company's really wanted to cut down on truck accidents, they would get the new drivers MORE training and pay the existing drivers more.
But, we live in a "bottom line" world, and that would cut into the almighty profit line.

[DiverDave]

5. This needs to be seen folks

eom

[WhiteTara]

6. How many of these are

triple haulers?

[AngryAmish]

7. This is an awful headline to a non-story.

In the story it says that the rate of fatalities per mile driven is at a 30 year low. Guess what? Trucks are safer than they ever have been. There will be more fatalities because every year there are more trucks and more cars. More miles driven = larger gross numbers but the net is way down.

Drivers have always falsified their logs, especially owner operators. I have been told that the big companies have been coming down hard on guys that falsifiy their logs.