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In 1997 there were 4,871 large trucks involved in fatal crashes. There were also an estimated
97,000 large trucks involved in injury crashes, and 342,000 involved in property-damage-only
crashes. |
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Large trucks in 1997 accounted for nine percent of the vehicles involved in fatal crashes, two
percent of those involved in injury crashes, and four percent of the vehicles involved in
property-damage-only crashes. |
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Sixty-three percent of the trucks involved in 1997 fatal crashes, and about fifty percent involved
in non-fatal crashes were tractors pulling single semi-trailers. Four percent of the trucks involved
in fatal crashes were doubles, and three-tenths of one percent were triples. Less than five
percent of trucks involved in fatal and non-fatal crashes were transporting hazardous materials. |
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The crash rate (number of crash involved vehicles per 100 million vehicle miles traveled) for
large trucks in fatal crashes is slightly higher the rate for passenger vehicles. The crash rate
for passenger vehicles involved in injury crashes, however, is more than three times higher
than the rate for large trucks. |
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In two-vehicle fatal crashes between a large truck and a passenger vehicle, seven percent
of the truck drivers were under 26 years old, and only two percent of the truck drivers were
over 65. By contrast 24 percent of the passenger vehicle drivers in these crashes were under
26 years old, and 20 percent were over 65. |
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In two-vehicle fatal crashes between a large truck and a passenger vehicle, less than one percent
of the truck drivers had a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.10 grams per deciliter or greater, the
level for intoxication in most States. By contrast 15 percent of passenger vehicle drivers in these
fatal crashes with a truck had a BAC level of 0.10 or greater. |
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| Driver-related crash factors were coded for 28
percent of truck drivers involved in a fatal crash with a single passenger vehicle. However,
driver-related crash factors were coded for 80 percent of the passenger vehicle drivers involved
in these crashes. |
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A large majority of 1997 fatal and non-fatal truck crashes occurred in good weather, on a dry
road surface, during the day, and on weekdays. |
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The first harmful event in 78 percent of fatal large truck crashes was the collision of the truck
with another moving vehicle. About half of the first crash events for trucks involved in non-fatal
crashes were collisions with another vehicle in transport. |
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None of the available data addresses crash
causation or fault. Thus, the data can only be
suggestive as to the reasons for truck crashes.
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