CDC Highlights Importance of Trucker Safety in March Issue of Vital Signs

The March Issue of the CDC's Vital Signs focuses on Trucker Safety.

Did you know that... 

• An estimated 317,000 motor vehicle crashes involving a large truck were reported to the police in the US in 2012.
• 26,000 truck drivers or their passengers were injured in crashes in 2012.
• About 700 truck drivers or their passengers died in crashes in 2012. Buckling up could have saved up to 40% of the unbelted truck drivers. 

Trucker safety requires an alert, buckled-up, experienced driver, with a reliable vehicle and strong employer safety programs. About 2.6 million workers drive trucks that weigh over 10,000 pounds (large trucks). About 65% of on-the-job deaths of US truck drivers in 2012 were the result of a motor vehicle crash. More than 1 in 3 truck drivers have had a serious truck crash during their career, and 1 in 8 has had 2 or more. Buckling up is both effective and required by federal regulations. But 1 in 6 drivers of large trucks don't use their seat belts (2013). More than 1 in 3 truck drivers who died in crashes in 2012 were not wearing seat belts. Buckling up could have prevented up to 40% of these deaths.

Employers can help truck drivers stay safe by:

• Committing to driver safety programs at the highest level of leadership.
• Establishing and enforcing driver safety policies, including requiring everyone in the truck to buckle up.
• Involving workers in decisions about how to put seat belt programs in place.
• Promoting seat belt use in training and safety meetings.
• Addressing factors that contribute to crashes, such as drowsy and distracted driving, in their driver safety programs.