NTSB Study Finds Truck Safety, Invalid License Concerns

Posted on the 18 September 2013 by Webforjason

Last month, The NAFA Fleet Management Association expressed concerns over the National Transportation Safety Board's new safety recommendations earlier this summer.

After examining the results of a five year study, the NTSB found that single-unit trucks have been in a disproportionately high number of passenger vehicle occupant deaths in multivehicle crashes.

NAFA, which represents a group that manages over 3.5 million commercial vehicles, contends that the study is flawed because it lacks detailed analysis. They say that the NTSB did not make a distinction between managed fleets and other vehicles.

The NAFA Executive Director Phillip Russo also questioned the assertion that drivers of single-unit trucks involved in fatal crashes were more likely to have an invalid license than tractor-trailer operators.

"While this may be true for some trucks," said Russo, "it is not relevant to drivers of single-unit trucks in managed fleets. For many reasons, including insurance, fleets are scrupulous about ensuring that drivers are properly licensed."