18 WHEELER ACCIDENTS TO INCREASE?

American drivers beware. Trucks are expected to carry 70 percent of all the freight moved across the U.S. by 2018, making them the largest mode of freight transport in the country. Meanwhile, government efforts to improve the safety record of big rigs and other trucks is moving slowly in some respects and lagging in others. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) says action to prevent medically unqualified drivers from operating commercial vehicles is unacceptable. According to the NTSB, “Many commercial drivers whose serious medical conditions are known to their employers, health care providers and others are never reported to the appropriate motor vehicle licensing authorities….endangering the drivers and others.” www.ntsb.gov. The NTSB is also working to get trucks off the road faster if inspectors find mechanical problems or drivers that are unqualified. In March 2007, at the urging of the NTSB, The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) appointed experts from trucking companies, safety advocates and law enforcement to tackle the problem. The NTSB rates progress in this area “slow but acceptable.”