FATALITY FACTS 2004: LARGE TRUCKS

Transcription

1 FATALITY FACTS 2004: LARGE TRUCKS Sections: OVERVIEW WHERE AND WHEN LARGE TRUCK CRASHES OCCURRED COMPARISON OF LARGE TRUCK AND PASSENGER VEHICLE CRASHES Based on their numbers on the road and on the amount they travel, large trucks (tractor-trailers, singleunit trucks, and some cargo vans weighing more than 10,000 pounds) account for more than their share of highway deaths. Large trucks have higher fatal crash rates per mile traveled than passenger vehicles, although a higher percentage of large truck travel occurs on interstates, the safest roads. Most deaths in large truck crashes are passenger vehicle occupants rather than occupants of large trucks. The main problem is the vulnerability of people traveling in smaller vehicles. Trucks often weigh times as much as passenger cars. Truck braking capability can be a factor in truck crashes. Loaded tractor-trailers take percent farther than cars to stop, and the discrepancy is greater when trailers are empty, on wet and slippery roads, or with poorly maintained brakes. 1 Truck driver fatigue also is a known crash risk. Drivers of large trucks are allowed by federal hours-of-service regulations to drive up to 11 hours at a stretch and up to 77 hours over a 7-day period. Surveys indicate that many drivers violate the regulations and work longer than permitted. 2,3,4 The following facts are based on analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS): OVERVIEW A total of 5,079 people died in large truck crashes in 2004, up 4 percent from Fifteen percent of these deaths were truck occupants, 72 percent were occupants of cars and other passenger vehicles, and 11 percent were pedestrians, bicyclists, or motorcyclists. Large truck crash deaths have declined 22 percent overall since 1979, when they were at an all-time high. There has been a greater percentage decline among occupants of large trucks (46 percent) than among occupants of passenger vehicles (13 percent).

2 Passenger vehicle occupants Deaths in crashes involving large trucks, Large truck occupants Motorcyclist, bicyclist, and pedestrian deaths Total* Year Num % Num % Num % Num , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,079 Ninety-eight percent of vehicle occupants killed in two-vehicle crashes involving a passenger vehicle and a large truck in 2004 were occupants of the passenger vehicles. Occupant deaths in two-vehicle crashes involving a large truck and a passenger vehicle, 2004 Occupant type Deaths % Passenger vehicle occupants 2, Large truck occupants 74 2 All occupant deaths 2, Large trucks accounted for 3 percent of registered vehicles and 7 percent of miles traveled in Twelve percent of all motor vehicle crash deaths in 2004 occurred in large truck crashes. Deaths in large truck crashes and all crashes, 2004 Crash type Deaths % Large truck crashes 5, Other crashes 37, All crashes 42, Seventy-four percent of deaths in large truck crashes in 2004 involved tractor-trailers and 28 percent involved single-unit trucks.

3 Deaths in large truck crashes by truck type involved, 2004 Truck type Deaths % Tractor-trailer 3, Single-unit 1, NOTE:More than one large truck may be involved in a single crash and the deaths associated with that crash. Sixty-four percent of large truck occupants killed in multiple-vehicle crashes in 2004 occurred in collisions involving another large truck. Occupant deaths in large trucks in multiple-vehicle crashes by number of large trucks involved, 2004 Number of large trucks Deaths % ! Total Twelve percent of all passenger vehicle occupant deaths and 22 percent of passenger vehicle occupant deaths in multiple-vehicle crashes in 2004 occurred in crashes with large trucks. Occupant deaths in passenger vehicles by crash type and large truck involvement, 2004 Large truck crashes Other crashes All crashes Crash type Num % Num % Num Single-vehicle , ,221 Multiple-vehicle 3, , ,360 All crashes 3, , ,581 Among vehicle occupants killed in large truck crashes, both the rate of passenger vehicle occupant deaths per truck mile traveled and the rate of large truck occupant deaths per truck mile traveled declined substantially from 1975 to The percentage decline in the death rate for large truck occupants (71 percent) exceeded the percentage decline in the rate for passenger vehicle occupants (51 percent).

4 Occupant deaths in large truck crashes per 100,000,000 truck miles traveled, Large truck occupants Passenger vehicle occupants Year Truck miles traveled in millions Num Rate Num Rate , , ,070 1, , ,021 1, , ,739 1, , ,004 1, , ,491 1, , ,702 1, , , , , , ,796 1, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , not available 738 not available 3,678 not available WHERE AND WHEN LARGE TRUCK CRASHES OCCURRED Sixty percent of deaths in large truck crashes in 2004 occurred on major roads other than interstates and freeways, 30 percent occurred on interstates and freeways, and 9 percent occurred on minor roads. Deaths in large truck crashes by road type, 2004 Road type Deaths % Interstates and freeways 1, Major roads 3, Minor roads All road types* 5, Sixty-six percent of large truck crash deaths in 2004 occurred during the day (6 am to 6 pm), compared with 47 percent of crash deaths involving other types of vehicles.

5 Deaths in large truck crashes and all crashes by time of day, 2004 Large truck crashes Other crashes All crashes Time of day Deaths % Deaths % Deaths % Midnight-3am , , am-6am , , am-9am , , am-Noon , , Noon-3pm , , pm-6pm , , pm-9pm , , pm-Midnight , , Total* 5, , , Sixteen percent of large truck crash deaths in 2004 occurred on Saturday and Sunday, compared with 37 percent of crash deaths involving other types of vehicles Deaths in large truck crashes and all crashes by day of week, 2004 Large truck crashes Other crashes All crashes Day of week Deaths % Deaths % Deaths % Sunday , , Monday , , Tuesday , , Wednesday , , Thursday , , Friday , , Saturday , , Total* 5, , , COMPARISON OF LARGE TRUCK AND PASSENGER VEHICLE CRASHES Fifty-one percent of large truck occupant deaths in 2004 occurred in crashes in which their vehicles rolled over. This was lower than the percentage of SUV occupant deaths (62 percent) in rollover crashes and higher than the percentage of occupant deaths in pickup (45 percent) and car (23 percent) rollover crashes. Occupant deaths by rollover occurrence and vehicle type, 2004 No rollover Rollover All crashes Vehicle type Num % Num % Num Large truck SUV 1, , ,670 Pickup 3, , ,751 Car 15, , ,443 Sixty-one percent of large truck occupant deaths in 2004 occurred in single-vehicle crashes, compared with 48 percent of passenger vehicle occupant deaths. Occupant deaths in large trucks and passenger vehicles by number of vehicles involved, 2004 Large truck occupants Passenger vehicle occupants Crash type Num % Num % Single-vehicle , Multiple-vehicle , All crashes , Sixteen percent of large trucks in fatal crashes in 2004 were involved in single-vehicle crashes. By comparison, 38 percent of passenger vehicles in fatal crashes were involved in single-vehicle crashes.

6 Large truck and passenger vehicle involvement in fatal crashes by number of vehicles involved, 2004 Large trucks Passenger vehicles Crash type Num % Num % Single vehicle , Two vehicles 3, , >2 vehicles , All crashes 4, , Thirty-six percent of fatally injured large truck drivers in 2004 were using seat belts, compared with 43 percent of fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers. Belt use was coded as unknown for 16 percent of fatally injured large truck drivers, compared with 7 percent of fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers. Seat belt use among fatally injured large truck and passenger vehicle drivers, 2004 Large truck drivers Passenger vehicle drivers Belt use Num % Num % Unbelted , Belt used , Unknown belt use ,455 7 Total , In contrast with passenger vehicle drivers, large truck drivers killed in fatal crashes rarely had high blood alcohol concentrations (BACs). Truck drivers are subject to strict government regulations concerning drinking and driving. Only 4 percent of fatally injured large truck drivers in 2004 had BACs at or above 0.08 percent, down from 17 percent in Thirty-two percent of fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers in 2004 had BACs at or above 0.08 percent, compared with 51 percent in Estimated percent and number of fatally injured large truck and passenger vehicle drivers with BACs! 0.08 percent, Large truck drivers Passenger vehicle drivers Deaths Estimated deaths with BACs!0.08 Deaths Estimated deaths with BACs!0.08 Year Num Num % Num Num % ,663 10, ,337 9, ,298 9, ,057 8, ,503 9, ,157 9, ,884 9, ,554 9, ,953 8, ,551 8, ,573 7, ,036 7, ,644 7, ,456 7, ,631 7, ,702 7, ,627 6, ,899 6, ,819 7, ,862 7, ,537 7, ,200 7, ,838 7,037 32

7 REFERENCES 1National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Heavy truck safety study. Report no. DOT HS Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Transportation. 2Braver, E.R.; Preusser, C.W.; Preusser, D.F.; Baum, H.M.; Beilock, R.; and Ulmer, R Long hours and fatigue: a survey of tractor-trailer drivers. Journal of Public Health Policy 13: McCartt, A.T.; Hammer, M.C.; and Fuller, S.Z Work and sleep/rest factors associated with driving while drowsy: experiences among long-distance truck drivers. Proceedings of the 41st Annual Conference of the Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine, Des Plaines, IL: Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine. 4McCartt, A.T.; Hellinga, L.A.; and Solomon, M.G Work schedules before and after 2004 hours-ofservice rule change and predictors of reported rule violations in 2004: survey of long-distance truck drivers. To be presented at the 2005 International Truck and Bus Safety and Security Symposium, Alexandria, VA. Arlington, VA: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. 5Federal Highway Administration Highway statistics, Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Transportation , Insurance Institute for Highway Safety 1005 N. Glebe Rd. Arlington, VA tel. 703/ fax 703/