The Truck Safety Coalition is calling for action to advance truck safety reforms following the release of its “Deadliest Truck Crash States” report, which ranked states on truck crash fatalities per 100,000 people for 2022.
The “Deadliest Dozen” states are Wyoming, New Mexico, North Dakota, Montana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Alabama, Mississippi, Nebraska, Kansas and Texas. The National Center for Statistics and Analysis at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) generated data for the report, the coalition said.
“Across New Mexico and the country, truckers and drivers deserve to be able to travel our roads safely,” Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), said in a news release. “To see that truck crash deaths have increased by nearly 75% since 2009 is a sobering reminder that we must continue to fight to reduce the number of truck crash fatalities. That is why I remain committed to pushing the Department of Transportation to act and implement common-sense solutions to prevent needless deaths and keep our roadways safe.
“This report is a painful reminder that we have much more work to do."
The report, based on data from 2022, provides insights into one of the worst years for truck crash deaths in modern history, the coalition said. NHTSA reports that nearly 6,000 people lost their lives and over 160,000 injuries occurred. “Truck crash deaths have continued to rise over the last 10 years, demonstrating the need for safety reforms,” Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC-01) said. "Safety was my first priority when working on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, including mandating automatic emergency braking, stronger standards for rear underride guards, and increased funding for safety programs.”
The Truck Safety Coalition is asking Congress and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to pursue several solutions to reduce truck crashes, including:
- Finalizing the Automatic Emergency Braking rule for all classes of CMVs
- Completing the speed limiter rule for CMVs
- Denying exemptions for longer and heavier trucks
The Truck Safety Coalition (TSC) is a partnership between Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways (CRASH), also known as The CRASH Foundation, and Parents Against Tired Truckers (P.A.T.T.).