It is unfortunate that many who make their living off the hard work of truck drivers refuse to be honest and objective. And then they attempt to defend and explain the recognized and long-existing safety flaws inherent in that industry.

It is entirely obvious to me that their motivation is economic and not the safety of the public, which includes the safety of truck drivers.

Driving trucks is the most dangerous profession in the United States.

As more and more of the Maine public are placed in peril — in their homes and on their highways — by exhausted truck drivers and by an industry whose first objective is economic, the citizens in Maine will continue to suffer the tragic deaths and injuries of friends and family.

National statistics and study after study have proven that sleep patterns and fatigue will always win over economic incentives.

No load of logs or pair of new sneakers is worth the lives of our children.

Russ Swift, Wales

Editor’s note: Russ Swift recently retired as a long-time member of the Maine Motor Carrier Review Board.