Institute for Safer Trucking Statement on Confirmation of Pete Buttigieg as U.S. DOT Secretary

We at the Institute for Safer Trucking congratulate Pete Buttigieg on his confirmation as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation.  We look forward to working closely with him to make trucking safer for all on our nation’s highways through data-driven solutions.

Over the past 10 years, truck crashes have skyrocketed in the United States resulting in over 5,000 fatalities in 2019. There are several technology-based solutions at hand that can reverse these worsening trends including requiring the use of automatic emergency braking, use of speed limiters, and improving underride protections on trailers. 

Additionally, we hope to work together to increase and index the minimum insurance requirement for motor carriers to account for medical cost inflation. It was set in 1980 and has never been increased.

The Institute for Safer Trucking serves as a reliable resource for motor carriers and truck drivers to learn about safety improvements that can reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities, as well as for families of truck crash victims and survivors in need of help after their truck crash.

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