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Truck safety stalls despite industry efforts, new technology and regulations

April 30, 2018
New report from Wards CV Intelligence examines the disconnect between intention and reality, combining latest federal data, industry survey results, and expert analysis.

Data collected from a variety of government and private sources show flat or negative trends in commercial vehicle safety throughout most of this decade.

These numbers are in contrast to the industry’s ongoing efforts to improve commercial vehicle safety through education, best practices and new technologies.  While the economy of trucking is healthy, industry leaders have recognized that an emphasis on improving safety for both drivers and the vehicles around them is paramount to continued success.

The Wards 2018 Commercial Vehicle Safety Report analyzes the most credible public and proprietary data sources to bring an objective perspective to the trucking industry’s safety performance. It examines the most recent data available on truck-related accidents, comparing fatal, injury and property incidents over the last decade.

The report also brings insight into trucking’s current safety trends by looking at federal records for 2017.  FleetSeek’s proprietary database and platform has been utilized to filter additional equipment and fleet operational attributes.  Plus, the report features a proprietary survey examining current and future fleet adoption of various advanced safety system technologies.

The report’s author and longtime editor-in-chief of Fleet Owner magazine Jim Mele led the analysis behind the Wards Commercial Vehicle Safety Report. “I worked closely with FleetSeek analysts to compile the most up-to-date statistics on a broad range of truck safety metrics collected over the last 10 years,” explained Mele, who draws from 35 years of experience covering the trucking industry. “We examined each individual metric, pointing out significant changes and the likely causes for those changes.  The result is a detailed look at the industry’s successes and failures, as well as mostly likely opportunities for future safety improvements.”

To supplement the historical data featured in the report, Mele oversaw a survey on fleet use and future interest in advanced safety systems. It indicates current fleet investment in existing systems and their willingness to adopt new systems in the near future.

Lead chapters included are accident history, 2017 overview and advanced safety technology. Each chapter has multiple sections on a wide variety of topics, including truck safety performance by state, injury crashes involving large trucks, current safety systems, future installation plans, and much, much more.

The report is available now at http://wardsintelligence.com/commercial-vehicle-safety-report

Wards Intelligence is a provider of automotive insights and analysis, having served the industry's information needs for more than 90 years. Its CV Intelligence unit regularly produces insightful reports drawing from this vast knowledge of transportation industry trends, supplemented by insights of its sister businesses within Informa Transportation Intelligence, including FleetSeek and Fleet Owner. 

About the Author

Fleet Owner Staff

Our Editorial Team

Kevin Jones, Editorial Director, Commercial Vehicle Group

Cristina Commendatore, Executive Editor

Scott Achelpohl, Managing Editor 

Josh Fisher, Senior Editor

Catharine Conway, Digital Editor

Eric Van Egeren, Art Director

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