CONTRARY TO THE GENERAL IMPRESSION

IN A CRASH, THE DRIVER OF A TRACTOR TRAILER IS NO SAFER THAN OTHER DRIVERS. IN FACT, ACCORDING TO FINDINGS OF CORNELL AERONAUTICAL LABORATORY, HIS CHANCES OF DEATH OR INJURY AND GREATER-AND GREATER STILL WHEN HE'S THROWN FROM THE CAB. CORNELL'S AUTOMOTIVE CRASH INJURY RESEARCH (ACIR), A CONTINUING STUDY, STARTED IN 1954 WITH CAR CRASHES, USING ACTUAL CARS AND MANIKINS, PLUS ACCIDENT REPORTS. THE TRUCK PHASE OF THE STUDY, BASED ON SPECIALLY DETAILED ACCIDENT REPORTS SUPPLIED BY FLEET OPERATORS, COVERS 970 OCCUPANTS OF 680 TRUCKS. ACIR'S IMPRESSIVE CAR CRASH STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT THE RISK OF DEATH IS THREE TIMES GREATER FOR CAR OCCUPANTS WHO ARE EJECTED THAN FOR THOSE WHO REMAIN IN THE CAR. DOORS FLYING OPEN SHOWED UP AS A MAJOR CAUSE OF EJECTION IN THE TRUCK STUDY. CAB DOORS OPENED IN 40.2% OF THE ACCIDENTS, A RATE NEARLY DOUBLE THAT OF LATE MODEL CARS. PASSENGER CARS SINCE 1956 HAVE BEEN EQUIPPED WITH SAFETY DOOR LATCHES AND HINGES. AND A NEW FEDERAL STANDARD (NO. 206), EFFECTIVE JANURARY 1969 HAS IMPOSED STILL STIFFER PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS. BUT MOST OF THE TRUCKS COVERED IN THE STUDY-AND MOST OF THOSE ON THE ROAD TODAY DO NOT HAVE "SAFETY DOORS." EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1972, THE FEDERAL STANDARD FOR BEEFED-UP LATCH AND HINGE SYSTEMS WILL BE EXTENDED TO TRUCKS. THIS SHOULD HELP REDUCE THE TRUCK DRIVER DEATH AND INJURY RATES. BUT SAFETY DOORS WON'T BE ENOUGH, ACCORDING TO ACIR REPORT. ODDS ARE STILL AGAINST THE UNRESTRAINED DRIVER IN A TRUCK CAB - BECAUSE HE HAS LESS INTERIOR PROTECTION AND HE GETS KNOCKED ABOUT IN A COLLISION. SEAT BELTS COULD REDUCE BOTH THE EJECTION AND THE BUFFETING - IF YOU COULD GET DRIVERS TO USE THEM. BUT MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE, TRUCK DRIVERS FEAR ENTRAPMENT-THE HAZARDS OF FIRE AND OF CARGO BREAKING LOOSE IN A CRASH. ACIR FINDINGS INDICATE THAT THE HAZARDS OF EJECTION OUTWEIGH THOSE OF FIRE AND LOAD SHIFT. ITS STATISTICAL SAMPLE, HOWEVER, IS SMALL: ONLY 18(2.5%) OF THE 680 ACCIDENTS INVOLVED FIRE AND ONLY EIGHT OF THEM INVOLVED LOAD SHIFT. IT WILL TAKE MORE THAN THIS TO CONVINCE THE DRIVERS - AND THEY'RE THE ONES WHO HAVE TO FASTEN THE BELTS. /ARTICLE/

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/23150828
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Vol 65, No 4, P 185
• Authors:
  • Atkin, D
• Publication Date: 1970-4

Media Info

• Serial:
  • Fleet Owner
  • Publisher: Primedia Business Magazines & Media, Incorporated
  • ISSN: 1070-194X
  • Serial URL: http://www.fleetowner.com

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash injury research; Doors; Dummies; Ejection; Entrapment; Fatalities; Hazards; Locks (Waterways); Manual safety belts; Safety; Tractor trailer combinations; Truck drivers
• Subject Areas: Highways; Motor Carriers; Research; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00220868
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 15 1970 12:00AM