IT IS DANGEROUS OUT THERE ON THE ROAD FOR TRUCKERS
AND THE REST OF THE TRAVELING PUBLIC
AND COSTLY

1.  Commercial motor vehicle crashes remain a primary source of concern in the United States, particularly in light of the increasing number of trucks and        motorcoaches on the Nation’s roads and their critical role in the transportation of hazardous materials.
2.  A 2004 report by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program found that when a large truck is involved in a crash, it is about 2.6 times as likely  to result in a fatality compared with passenger cars.
3.  The number of fatalities associated with large truck crashes is a significant portion of all crash fatalities in the United States.  In 2005, 5212 individuals  died and 114,000 individuals were injured as a result of large truck-related crashes in the United States.  Overall, from 2001 to 2005 there have been  25,533 large truck related fatalities in the United States.
4.  In addition to the tremendous human loss, these crashes also impose a significant economic cost on society.  The Department of Transportation estimates  that highway crashes cost society $230.6 Billion a year about $820 per person.  A 2006 report issued by the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration  determined that the estimated cost of each crash involving a large truck with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 10,000 pounds is $91,112, while  the average cost of a fatal crash is $3,604,518.