REVIEW OF OUT-OF-SERVICE CRITERIA: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ACCIDENTS AND VEHICLE DEFECTS. REVIEW OF NATIONAL TRUCK TRAFFIC DATABASES

This report reviews several national truck and bus accident databases in order to assess the availability of data elements related to Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance out-of-service criteria. After describing the coverage and data collection procedures for each database, tabulations of vehicle involvements according to relevant data elements are presented. The emphasis is on vehicle defects associated with accidents. One obstacle in assessing the role of vehicle defects in accidents is the lack of systematic, postcollision vehicle inspections, especially in nonfatal accidents. The incidence of vehicle defects reported in the national files is generally low, but it is difficult to determine if this is due to the rarity of defects themselves or to underreporting. Specific shortcomings in the national files are noted, including problems with accurately identifying vehicle types, absence of data elements related to certain out-of-service criteria, sampling error, and underreporting of accidents.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • See also PB96-164371. Sponsored by Oregon State Uni., Corvallis.
• Corporate Authors:

  University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute

  2901 Baxter Road
  Ann Arbor, MI  United States  48109-2150
• Authors:
  • Massie, D L
  • Campbell, K L
• Publication Date: 1996-6

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 33 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bus crashes; Commercial vehicles; Crash data; Defects; Truck crashes; Vehicle safety; Vehicles
• Old TRIS Terms: Defective vehicles
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00730629
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: UMTRI-96-25,, HS-042 239
• Files: HSL, TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 3 1997 12:00AM