ATA makes progress on safety goals

   The American Trucking Associations has seen progress on 12 of the 20 steps it proposed four years ago to significantly reduce highway truck crashes.
   At that time, the organization lobbied policymakers to put these safety measures into effect.
   “ATA has been a vocal advocate for making common sense, data-supported, regulatory and legislative changes to improve the safety of our nation’s highways,” Bill Graves, the organization’s president and chief executive officer, said in a statement. “Regulators and lawmakers at the state and federal level have answered ATA’s calls in several areas, but there is still much more work to be done.”
   According to the report, which rates each goal on a five-point scale from “little action to date” all the way to “completed,” only four of the 20 goals have not even been addressed. Among the suggestions that haven’t made headway in the last four years are the ATA’s call for speed-limiter devices on certain passenger vehicles and a national speed limit, for all vehicles, of 65 mph.
   The industry is close to ATA’s goal of creating a national registry of certified medical examiners, which will streamline the medical certification of drivers once the rule goes into effect in 2014. The organization has also almost achieved rules limiting technology use that cause driver distractions and strengthening pre-employment screening.
   However, most of the ATA’s proposals have seen modest to favorable progress.  Here are a few items the organization hopes to continue pushing forward:

• Seat belt use for all drivers.
• Improved truck parking.
• Programs targeting aggressive drivers.
• A graduated license for non-commercial teen drivers.
• Enhanced alcohol laws, a drug and alcohol clearinghouse, and hair drug tests.
• Commercial vehicle speed limiters.
• Crashworthiness standards. 

   Overall, however, ATA officials are happy with how the industry has reacted to its proposals.
   “We’re pleased that our state and federal safety partners have addressed or begun to address more than half of these actions to make commercial motor vehicles and their workplace safer,” ATA Chairman Mike Card said in a statement. “We hope our federal and state partners will continue to work with us to this end.” – Jon Ross