Heavy Truck Crashworthiness: Injury Mechanisms and Countermeasures to Improve Occupant Safety

This study was conducted by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) under a contract from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The objective of the study was to analyze truck driver injury and loss of life in truck crashes related to cab crashworthiness and investigate regulations and industry trends in relation to truck occupant protection. The goal is to assemble information on truck driver casualties in crashes that would assist in understanding injury mechanisms and to review regulatory and industry initiatives concerned with reducing the number of truck occupant fatalities and the severity of injuries. The commercial vehicle focus is on truck-tractors and single-unit vehicles in the NHTSA Class 7 and 8 weight range. The study used UMTRI’s Trucks Involved in Fatal Accidents (TIFA) survey file and NHTSA’s General Estimates System (GES) file for categorical analysis and the Large Truck Crash Causation Study (LTCCS) for a supplemental clinical review of cab performance in frontal and rollover crash types. The study includes analysis of truck driver injury and injury mechanisms, a review of regulatory development and industry safety initiatives including barriers to implementation. A set of countermeasures to address truck driver safety risk are presented.

• Record URL:
  http://www.nhtsa.gov/DOT/NHTSA/NVS/Crashworthiness/Truck Underride/812061_HeavyTruckInjuryCountermeasures.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute

  2901 Baxter Road
  Ann Arbor, MI  United States  48109-2150

  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

  Office of Applied Vehicle Safety Research
  1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Woodrooffe, John
  • Blower, Daniel
• Publication Date: 2015-3

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 110p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cabs (Vehicle compartments); Countermeasures; Crash injuries; Crashworthiness; Fatalities; Heavy duty trucks; Injury severity; Occupant protection devices; Regulations; Truck crashes; Truck drivers; Trucking safety
• Identifier Terms: General Estimates System; Large Truck Crash Causation Study; Trucks Involved in Fatal Accidents
• Subject Areas: Motor Carriers; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment; I81: Accident Statistics; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01574050
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: DOT HS 812 061, UMTRI-2013-41
• Contract Numbers: DTNH22-11-D-00236/0006
• Files: HSL, TRIS, ATRI, USDOT
• Created Date: Aug 27 2015 11:28AM