The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) released an annual analysis that estimates that commercial vehicle roadside safety inspection and traffic enforcement programs saved 472 lives in 2012. Since 2001, these programs have saved more than 7,000 lives.

“Over the last several decades, we’ve made tremendous strides in reducing the number of traffic fatalities and injuries on our nation’s roadways,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “The roadside safety inspection and traffic enforcement programs exemplify our commitment to continue to raise the bar on safety and build upon our progress.”

FMCSA’s annual Roadside Intervention Effectiveness Model analysis estimates that in 2012 — the most recent year in which data is available — these life-saving safety programs also prevented nearly 9,000 injuries from more than 14,000 crashes involving large commercial trucks and buses.

“We should recognize the essential role played by thousands of carriers and millions of professional truck and bus drivers on the road every day who understand the importance of protecting the safety of the traveling public while also doing their part to move the economy,” said FMCSA Acting Administrator Scott Darling. “Our analysis demonstrates that inspectors at roadside and state troopers conducting traffic enforcement are making a vital difference to prevent crashes. In addition, the truck and bus industries are working every day to comply with federal safety regulations designed to make sure that everyone reaches their destination safe and sound.”

In all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and in all U.S. territories, federal, state, and municipal commercial vehicle safety inspectors that are trained and certified conduct thousands of unannounced roadside safety inspections on commercial trucks, buses and their drivers on a daily basis.

Annually, more than 3.5 million such inspections are conducted. Commercial vehicles that fail inspection are immediately placed out-of-service and not allowed to potentially endanger the lives of the drivers and of the motoring public. Similarly, commercial drivers who are not compliant with critical safety requirements are also immediately placed out-of-service and not allowed to continue driving.