Large trucks involved in fewer fatal accidents on U.S. roads in 2006

Large trucks involved in fewer fatal accidents on U.S. roads in 2006 The number of large trucks involved in fatal accidents in the United States fell to a record low in 2006, according to figures released by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
   The 2006 fatal crash rate for large trucks, which measures the number of fatal crashes involving large trucks per 100 million miles traveled, stood at 1.93 in 2006, improving from the previous low of 1.97 in 2002. The large truck-involvement rate — the number of trucks involved in fatal crashes per 100 million miles traveled — fell to 2.12 from 2.21 a year earlier. The fatality rate — the number of deaths in truck-involved crashes per 100 million miles traveled — declined to 2.24 from 2.34 in 2005.
   The improved safety record was achieved despite nearly 3 million more registered cars and trucks on the road in 2006 compared to 2005, according to Federal Highway Administration statistics.
   'These figures illustrate the effectiveness of the trucking industry's continuous efforts to increase safety on the nation's highways,' said Bill Graves, president and chief executive officer of the American Trucking Associations. 'The motor carrier commitment to safety and industry outreach efforts are playing major roles in improving highway safety for all drivers.'
   The ATA has called for more education on sharing the road with large trucks, increased traffic enforcement for all vehicles that operate unsafely around large trucks, the adoption of primary safety belt laws in all states, and the reinstatement of a national maximum speed limit of 65 miles per hour for all vehicles. The ATA said it also supports limiting truck speeds at the time of manufacture.