Truck fatalities decline in 2002, setting record

Jul 17, 2003 12:00 PM

Large truck-related fatalities in 2002 were at their lowest level since the first recorded statistics in 1975, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has announced.

A National Highway Traffic Safety Adminitration study indicates fatalities dropped 4.2 percent in 2002 from the year before. In 2002, 4,897 fatalities were reported, compared to 5,111 in 2001. Similarly, the number of people injured in large-truck crashes fell .8 percent from 131,000 in 2001 to 130,000 in 2002.

The report can be seen in its entirety at the nhtsa.dot.gov Web site.