ATA: CRASH preparing attack on trucking

The Trucker News Services

8/15/2005

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The so-called CRASH Foundation, funded by trial lawyers and other known trucking opponents, is preparing for another attack on trucking’s improving safety record, according to the American Trucking Associations.

The self-styled “safety organization” has issued a request for tainted accident information that will likely be used to misrepresent the role of fatigue in car-truck-related accidents.

CRASH will ignore data from the American Transportation Research Institute indicating that motor carriers, operating under the current Hours of Service rule in all of 2004 posted lower recordable accident rates and lower injury rates per million miles. The data, which represents more than 100,000 drivers operating more than 10.5 billion fuel tax miles, showed recordable accidents per million miles fell to 0.68 in 2004 from 0.71 a year earlier. The total injury rate, meanwhile, declined to 0.94 injuries per million miles from 1.07 injuries per million miles in 2003.

ATA stated that CRASH has not asked for verification of fault in truck accidents.

“They are probably not interested as research by FMCSA and the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety continues to show that up to 75 percent of fatal car-truck accidents are not caused by trucks, but rather are initiated by non-commercial motor vehicle drivers, ATA stated in a news release.

“Though the actual existence of CRASH as a reputable group is dubious, as its message and personnel closely match that of other regular truck-bashing groups, ATA members should consider the mainstream news media’s tendencies to report unverified and sensationalized charges ahead of highway safety facts, and be prepared to respond if asked by local news media, ATA stated. “Reliable, documented information on truck safety is available on Truckline.com in the Parade magazine truck package.”

The following is the text of CRASH’s request for information:

“Thank you for your help and support in advancing truck safety these past few weeks. Although we were successful in keeping anti-truck safety provisions out of the recently passed transportation bill, the fight is not over yet. In fact, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the trucking industry are looking for other bills moving through Congress to attach amendments to accomplish their goal of codifying the flawed hours of service (HOS) rule unanimously overturned the U.S Court of Appeals.

“In the coming weeks there will be many more attempts to enact increased HOS related amendments into law and we need to be prepared. To aid our effort, we are asking for your help in documenting fatigue related truck crashes. This will greatly assist us by clearly showing members of Congress and the media the negative safety impacts of longer driving hours on truck drivers and the motoring public.

“We would like each one of you to share your story about a loved one or friend who died or was injured in a fatigue-related truck crash. These stories will be documented and compiled in a book to share with key House and Senate members and the media to show the devastating personal impact and loss we suffer as a result of truck driver fatigue. We have attached a form that you can fill out and we appreciate your assistance with this project in our battle for safer highways.

“It also may be necessary to hold a press conference in September to bring national attention to the efforts by FMCSA and the trucking industry to roll back safety by attempting to enact these amendments in other legislation. Let us know if you would be willing to participate, if needed, in a press conference.

“We would also like to inform you of the 2005 Sorrow to Strength Conference. This conference is specifically designed for families and friends of those who have died or been injured in trucking accidents. It will take place October 15th-18th at the Hyatt Hotel Arlington….”

--The Trucker Staff