WASHINGTON -- The truck-involved fatality rate in the U.S. continues to fall. The Federal Highway Administration reports that truck crash fatality levels in 2007 declined 5.8 percent to 2.12 per 100 million miles from 2006.

Since new hours-of-service regulations took effect in 2005, the truck-involved fatality rate has come down more than 10 percent and is at its lowest since records began to be kept in 1975, explains the American Trucking Associations.

"This achievement is great for all of us who travel our nation's highways," said ATA President and CEO Bill Graves. "The trucking industry remains committed to safety and ATA will continue to advance its aggressive safety agenda in an effort to continue this outstanding trend."

Despite the clear downward trend, some safety-special interest groups insist that the new hours-of-service rules create more fatigued (and dangerous drivers). The numbers say something different, however.

The truck-involved fatal crash rate and the truck-occupant fatality rate also declined from 2006 to 2007. The truck-involved fatal crash rate declined 4.5 percent to 1.85 per 100 million miles and the truck-occupant fatality rate declined 1.98 percent to 0.35 per 100 million miles.

These crash rates are based on the FHWA's figures that report vehicle miles traveled by truck increased in 2007 to 226.96 billion miles from 222.5 billion in 2006. During that same time, the actual number of truck-involved fatal crashes fell to 4,190 from 4,321.