LARGE TRUCK SAFETY AND ROADWAY ELEMENTS. FINAL REPORT

In recent years laws have been passed at both the State and Federal levels which have increased the sizes of trucks. The new laws allow longer and wider trailers as well as twin-trailer combinations. This liberalization of truck sizes has increased concerns about possible hazards associated with larger trucks. To address these safety concerns this study was accomplished with these primary objectives: 1) To measure the relative safety of the various types of large trucks; and 2) To identify types of roadways and specific roadway and traffic characteristics most closely associated with large truck crashes. Tractor-semitrailer truck accident rates were calculated for each highway functional class and compared. Also an engineering study was made on 200 locations where truck crashes had occurred to collect roadway and traffic characteristics at these sites. These were then compared to the HPMS test sections and the "designated" system. The study revealed three general findings about truck safety: 1) The truck safety problem on Georgia's state highway system is predominantly a rural problem. 2) The truck safety problem involves predominantly tractor-semitrailer trucks. 3) The truck safety problem varies significantly with the functional class of highways. There was not enough data available on the wider trailers and twin-trailers to study them.

• Corporate Authors:

  University of Georgia, Experiment

  Georgia Experiment Station
  Experiment, GA  United States 

  Georgia Department of Transportation

  One Georgia Center
  600 West Peachtree Street, NW
  Atlanta, GA  United States  30308
• Authors:
  • Wright, P H
• Publication Date: 1985-11

Media Info

• Pagination: 58 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Classification; Crash investigation; Crash rates; Highway safety; Highways; Laws; Rural highways; Size; Size and weight regulations; Tractor trailer combinations; Trailers; Trucks; Weight
• Uncontrolled Terms: Highway classification
• Old TRIS Terms: Truck laws & regulations
• Subject Areas: Highways; Law; Motor Carriers; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment; I80: Accident Studies; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00475131
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Federal Highway Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: GA-8404
• Files: TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Nov 30 1988 12:00AM