Fewer Truck Accidents Resulting in Deaths in 2007
The Federal Highway Administration recently published figures indicating that the number of deaths from semi truck accidents in the United States fell by 5.8% for 2007. The article from Truckinginfo.com notes that since the new hours of service rules went into effect in 2005, deaths from semi truck accidents have fallen by 10% and are at the lowest levels since truck accident fatality records were initially kept in the mid-1970's. Hours of service regulations limit the number of hours a tractor trailer driver can drive and/or be on duty before he/she has to take a break. These regulations are designed to prevent semi truck drivers from driving while fatigued and causing serious accidents.
In Florida, where the roads are heavily populated by semi trucks, the number of deaths from semi truck accidents declined by 4.3%. Jacksonville, Florida, in particular, has an inordinate number of semi trucks on the highways and roads because of the intersection between I-95 and I-10, which span the entire country. While there is no reason to believe the number of deaths in Jacksonville, Florida has not also followed this positive trend, no specific statistics related to deaths from truck accidents were available for 2007.
