The past 20 years have seen a decline in the large truck fatal accident rate, with 2009 experiencing the lowest rate in the United States Department of Transportation’s (U.S. DOT) recorded history. Nevertheless, the raw data indicate that total fatalities have demonstrated a fairly stable trend since 1995. These fatality statistics, while moving in a generally positive direction, indicate that there are clear opportunities for reducing truck-involved fatalities through continued enhancements to current safety performance programs. Predicated on increasing trucking industry safety performance, a variety of safety programs and regulations are required through congressional legislation and by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Furthermore, there are several critical monitoring and auditing functions that exist to assess a motor carrier’s compliance with the multiple requirements promulgated in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) and the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMRs). However, a number of stakeholders in the industry believe that current regulatory requirements, safety metrics and evaluation tools may not completely or accurately depict a carrier’s true safety performance. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting