Here I am trying to get ready for Christmas and I cannot keep up with all of the articles and actions related to truck safety. For the sake of time, I will post some links here so that you can check them out in between your holiday festivities.

• I read this report, “U.S. Department of Transportation Announces Decline in Traffic Fatalities in 2013“:  http://www.nhtsa.gov/About+NHTSA/Press+Releases/2014/traffic-deaths-decline-in-2013

So I decided to write to NHTSA with my concern about the increase in truck crash fatalities compared to the decline in traffic fatalities overall:

David,

This is just a knee jerk reaction, but I saw your recent report on decline in traffic fatalities. I don’t know the trend in truck crash fatalities since 2004, but I see, from your report, the last three years:

Fatalities in Crashes Involving Large Trucks

• Then, I read this article that came out this afternoon (why am I not surprised?), “Trucking Fatalities Increase for Fourth Year in a Row“:  http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-12-19/trucking-fatalities-increase-for-fourth-year-in-a-row.html
• See  p. 4 of this summary:
  http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/812101.pdf
• Check out the report, ” 2013 Motor Vehicle Crashes: Overview”:  http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/812101.pdf
• And this news about fatalities follows the roll back by Congress in Trucker Hours of Service Rules as reported in numerous articles:  http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/12/09/more-drowsy-overworked-truck-drivers/?_r=1 ;  http://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2014/12/editorial_suspension_of_trucker_rest_rules_means_danger_for_njs_crowded_highways.html  ;  https://www.rockymounttelegram.com/news/extended-workweek-alarms-trucking-safety-advocates-2733533 ;                                          https://annaleahmary.com/2014/12/battle-over-trucker-34-hour-restart-rule-is-over-for-now/ ;                       http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/storyline/wp/2014/12/16/the-department-of-transportation-wants-truckers-to-sleep-more-congress-said-no/
• A reporter accompanied a truck driver on a 6 day trip; “Six Days on Fumes: A Trucker’s Search for Starbucks and Sleep”:  http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-12-18/six-days-on-fumes-a-trucker-s-search-for-starbucks-and-sleep.html