After analyzing new crash and mileage data from the Department of Transportation, the American Trucking Associations has found that the rate of truck-involved fatalities has declined.

The fatality rate for truck-involved fatalities fell for the second straight year to 1.4 per 100 million miles traveled, according to ATA’s analysis of miles traveled data from the Federal Highway Administration and highway fatality data from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.

“Our industry has worked hard, and invested in technology and training to improve highway safety not just for our drivers, but for all motorists,” said Dave Osiecki, ATA executive vice president for National Advocacy. “And while there is more work to do, it is gratifying to see those efforts paying off in safer roads for all of us.”

There were 3,903 truck-involved fatalities in 2014, a decline of 61 from 2013 while at the same time the number of miles traveled by large trucks rose to more than 279 billion, according to NHTSA. The figures only represent fatalities where a large truck was involved in the crash and not necessarily the cause of the accident.

In the short term, the fatality rate dropped 2.78% from 2013 and has fallen 4.76% over the past two years. In the past decade, the fatality rate has fallen 40.6%.

“The short-term decline is welcome news, but the important figure is the long-term trend,” said Bill Graves, ATA president and CEO. “Short-term changes, whether they’re increases or declines, can be blips, they shouldn’t be the primary lens truck safety is viewed through. The long-term is of paramount importance.”

Originally posted on Trucking Info

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