Truck-related crash fatalities decline in 2002

According to figures released July 17 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the trucking industry recorded its best highway safety improvement in nearly a decade.

NHTSA's report shows that the number of truck-involved crash fatalities dropped below 5,000 for the first time since 1995. The 2002 toll of 4,897 fatalities marks a 4.2% decline from the 2001 figure.

“This positive news is a tribute to our professional truck drivers and our motor carriers,” said Bill Graves, president and chief executive officer of the American Trucking Associations.

The drop in truck-related highway deaths came as overall traffic fatalities in the United States rose from 42,196 in 2001 to 42,815 in 2002. Alcohol-related deaths, motorcycles fatalities, and young driver deaths each showed an increase.