Safety is Good Business

Overview 

• Getting Started with FMCSA Registration
• Initiatives to help you meet your Safety Goals
• CDL Requirements
• What Happens if I Don't Comply With Regulations?
• Industry Best Practices

Additional Resources 

• Compliance, Safety, Accountability
• Safety Measurement System
• Safety Management Cycle

Why "Safety is Good Business"?

Crashes are devastating in terms of fatalities and injuries, financial costs, damaged reputations, the inability to attract and retain good drivers, and general goodwill in the industry and community.

• In 2005, there were 5,212 fatalities and 91,993 injuries from large truck crashes, and 335 fatalities and 14,283 injuries from bus crashes.
• The average cost of a large truck crash involving a fatality is $3.6 million per crash.
• A crash with injuries costs almost $200,000 per crash.
• The average cost of all large truck crashes is about $91,000 per crash.

Further Information

• Latest Statistics on Large Truck and Bus Crashes 
• More Information on Cost of Crashes

The good news is that many crashes are preventable. For example:

• In 1997, 22% of large truck fatal crashes involving more than one vehicle were speeding-related. [Speeding Study]
• In 2003, about 2% of drivers with a commercial driver's license (CDL) used controlled substances, and 0.2% used alcohol (0.04 or higher blood alcohol content) while performing their duties. [Drug and Alcohol Survey]
• 5.5% of fatal truck crashes are caused by driver fatigue. [Hours of Service News Release]
• A 2006 study found that only 59% of commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers wear safety belts. In 2005, of the 696 CMV drivers who died in truck crashes, 344 were not wearing safety belts. [Safety Belt Studies]
• Research has shown that there is a significant relationship between driver job change rate (turnover) and crash involvement. [Driver Retention]