Truck crash fatality rate falls in US

WASHINGTON — The number of fatalities resulting from large truck crashes in the U.S. declined slightly from 5,235 to 5,212, while the number of occupants killed in rollover crashes increased 2.1 percent from 10,590 to 10, 816, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Despite the improvement, it wasn’t enough for NHTSA Administrator Nicole Nason. “We will not be satisfied until the fatality and injury numbers reach zero,” she said.

Statistics show that in car-truck crashes on North American highways, the car driver is far more likely to be at fault.

Overall, an increase in motorcycle and pedestrian deaths contributed to a general rise in highway fatalities in 2005, the NHTSA announced today. The total number of fatalities rose 1.4 percent from 42,836 in 2004 to 43,443 in 2005 while the rate of fatalities was 1.47 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT), up from 1.45 in 2004.

NHTSA collects crash statistics annually from the 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to produce annual reports of traffic fatality trends.