April 1st NHTSA released the numbers of truck related deaths and injuries for 2022. I wish it was an April Fools joke.

That year 5,936 people, some of them the truck drivers themselves, died in large truck related crashes. Over 160,000 people were injured.

I’ve been working with the Truck Safety Coalition for almost twenty years. And except for a few years when the death and injury numbers dipped a bit, the horrific losses have climbed each year.

No one but us and a few other small safety groups seem to notice these unacceptable numbers. I’m heartbroken. My heart breaks every year when the numbers are released. I don’t understand why everyone isn’t shocked and horrified. Why it isn’t national news.

The Truck Safety Coalition’s statement about the NHTSA report is on our webpage, but I’ll link to it here. And if I could ask you to please check out a few of the stories of people who have been stolen from us, maybe you’ll realize, as I do, that these aren’t numbers we’re talking about. These are people. And families. They are someone’s child, mother, brother, husband, wife. My dad.

After you’ve composed yourself and dried your eyes, please donate to help us make our voices louder. You’ll see the donate button on all our website pages.

Sixteen people will die today in a large truck crash. Take a minute and look around at your family, friends, coworkers, neighbors.

Which sixteen will die today?