Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/107898
Voices Driver crash deaths spike Federal safety statistics released at yearend contained a shocker: a sharp rise in truck-occupant deaths and injuries. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data showed highway deaths overall in 2011 fell to levels not seen since the 1940s, but were concurrent with a sharp rise in truck driver fatalities. As readers weighed reasons for that, several themes emerged as possible factors for trucker deaths rising from 530 in 2010 to 635. "The average years of experience of drivers is dropping," one commenter noted at OverdriveOnline.com. "And the hours of service are causing more fatigue problems, because many drivers fail to take short breaks [to maximize available hours]. I myself used to take a two-hour nap in the p.m." No longer, the driver added, or at least less often. Many owner-operators find pay lacking, so they try to run even harder "under an hours-ofservice regulation that is out of touch with reality," noted Jason Haggard on Overdrive's Facebook page. Drivers both veteran and rookie "are being pushed too hard to beat the 14-hour clock," While the truck-occupant fatality rate rose about 20 percent in 2011, the number of motorists dying from a crash with a large truck fell by 3.6 percent. For some trucking observers, this disparity points to the need for standardization of airbags and other safety equipment in heavyduty trucks. Rollovers, whether caused by taking a curve too fast or other causes, could be mitigated with better training, commented Zachary Bell on Overdrive's Facebook page. Bell identified potential fixes, including "equipping large trucks with modern safety features" like tire pressure monitoring, electronic stability control, driver's airbags and steel safety-caged cabs "that pass the Swedish impact test." Truck occupants killed in large-truck crashes Crash type: Single vehicle 2010: 339 | 2011: 403 Change: +19% wrote Chan Simson, "as well as unrealistic appointment times that the 14-hour clock doesn't care about." This leaves little time for rest, Simson added, and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration "just doesn't seem to see the big picture." As long as Crash type: Multivehicle 2010: 191 | 2011: 232 Change: +21% freight is "more important than safety and lives … death will continue to rise." Ken Nilsen urged drivers not to "let someone else dictate what you do. … There is plenty of time for proper rest when you manage your time." What's behind the marked rise in truck-occupant crash deaths? "Too many drivers going through driving school too quickly. I've been driving for 22 years, and I learn something new every day." Bob Watson Jacksonville, Fla. Empire Express company driver 4 | Overdrive | February 2013 "I think it's because there are airbags in cars, but trucks don't have them." Lou Divis Pittsburgh Class1 Transport company driver "Drivers are in too big of a hurry, and lowsulfur fuel is causing more fires during accidents." Darrell Newman Rock Hill, S.C. Owner-operator leased to Schneider National "Truckers are trying to drive more than they should – too many hours and not enough rest." Richard Barnett Athens, Ala. WTI Transport company driver