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30 role of passenger vehicles in accidents, specifically fatal crashes.“ It may not surprise you to know that 80 % of fatal truck crashes involve another vehicle, usually a passenger vehicle. Also, you may have recently read about a report released by ATA citing numerous studies showing that passenger vehicle( car) drivers are principally responsible for about 70 % of fatal car-truck crashes. This coming week in Transport Topics you’ ll be able to find additional evidence underscoring this conclusion.” For instance:
• In 85 % of fatal head-on collisions between a large truck and a car, the car crossed the center median into the truck’ s lane of travel.
• In 80 % of rear-end collisions involving a large truck and a car resulting in a fatality, the passenger vehicle rear-ended the truck.
• We know that 31 % of all traffic fatalities result from crashes involving a driver who was impaired by alcohol(>. 08 BAC). However, in only 2 % of fatal truck crashes was the truck driver alcohol impaired.
• Also, we know that younger drivers, like teenagers, and older drivers, those over 70 years of age, have higher fatal crash rates than middle age drivers. But teenagers and the elderly rarely drive trucks. The minimum age to operate a truck in interstate commerce is 21 and most truck drivers retire by age 70 if not sooner. In fact, the average age for truck drivers right now is about 48.
• Finally, experience and research has taught us that a person’ s driving record – their patterns of moving violations – is a strong predictor of future crash risk. For this reason, most trucking companies refuse to hire applicants who have been convicted of multiple moving violations. Also, CDL regulations prohibit individu-
August 2013
DriveRegional _ Legal Lane. indd 2 7 / 8 / 13 4:05 PM