WASHINGTON – The American Trucking Associations (ATA) unveiled a new 18-point highway safety agenda June 9. Based on recommendations by ATA's Safety Task Force, the newly adopted safety policies address commercial and passenger vehicle driver performance, safer vehicles and equipment, and motor carrier performance.

"The trucking industry is now the safest it has been since the U.S. Department of Transportation began keeping those statistics in 1975," said ATA President and CEO Bill Graves. "Despite this outstanding trend, we must continue to improve highway safety for all motorists sharing our nation's roads."

Initiatives on ATA's safety agenda include policies on improving driver performance, safer vehicles, and safer motor carriers.

Policies on improving driver performance:

• Use of non-integrated technologies while the vehicle is in motion.

• Uniform commercial drivers license (CDL) testing standards.

• CDL graduated licensing study.

• Additional parking facilities for trucks.

• National maximum 65 mph speed limit for all vehicles.

• Strategies to increase the use of seat belts.

• National car/truck driver behavior improvement program.

• Increased use of red light cameras and automated speed enforcement.

• More stringent laws to reduce drinking and driving.

Policies on safer vehicles, focusing on:

• Electronic speed governing of all large trucks manufactured since 1992.

• New large truck crashworthiness standards.

Policies on safer motor carriers, focusing on:

• National employer notification system.

• National clearinghouse for positive drug and alcohol test results of CDL holders.

• National registry of certified medical examiners.

• Access to the national Driver Information Resource.

• Required safety training by new entrant motor carriers.

ATA has long pursued a safety agenda including: 

• Promoting greater safety belt use by commercial drivers.

• Re-instituting a national maximum speed limit.

• Safe speeds governing of all new trucks.

• Decade-long initiative to create a national clearinghouse for drug and alcohol test results.

These additional policies further support ATA's progressive safety agenda.

For ATA's entire safety report with detailed explanations of the 18 points, click here.