Rear-end Crashes Involving Heavy Trucks: General Estimates System Crash Database Analysis

According to statistics compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 4,229 fatalities and 90,000 injuries resulted from crashes involving heavy trucks in 2008 (1). In regard to rear-end crashes, heavy trucks were 3.2 times more likely to be struck in the rear in fatal multiple-vehicle crashes (1). The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) contracted with the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) to perform a General Estimates System (GES) crash database analysis on rear-end collisions involving heavy trucks using data from 2006 as part of the Enhanced Rear Signaling for Heavy Trucks project (2). Findings indicated that there were 23,508 rear-end crashes involving heavy trucks which resulted in 135 fatalities, 1,603 incapacitating injuries, 2,074 non-incapacitating injuries, and 2,711 possible injuries. The three most common rear-end crash configurations where a heavy truck was struck from behind were: (i) the heavy truck was at rest (Rear-End Stopped) (47.9 percent), (ii) the heavy truck was moving at a slower speed than the striking vehicle (Rear-End Slower) (29.7 percent), and (iii) the heavy truck was slowing to a stop (Rear-End Decelerating) (22.5 percent). These results, and others, were helpful during follow-on project tasks involving heavy truck rear-end crash countermeasure development and evaluation.

• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Trimble, Tammy E
  • Flintsch, Alejandra Medina
  • Schaudt, William A
  • Bowman, Darrell S
  • Hanowski, Richard J
  • Flanigan, Chris
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 90th Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2011-1-23 to 2011-1-27
• Date: 2011

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: DVD
• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: 13p
• Monograph Title: TRB 90th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers DVD

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash analysis; Crash data; Crash injuries; Fatalities; Heavy duty trucks; Highway safety; Injury severity; Multiple vehicle crashes; Rear end crashes; Risk assessment
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I81: Accident Statistics;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01333507
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 11-2839
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Mar 21 2011 2:14PM