Truck Crash Profile:

The National Picture 1996

> Drafted by:
>
> Analysis Division, HIA-20
>
> Office of Motor Carriers

Federal Highway Administration

> September 1997

**For more
information:**![](media/image1.wmf){width="0.5694444444444444in"
height="0.4270833333333333in"}

Information on truck crashes and the nature and results of Office of
Motor Carriers safety programs is available from the Office of Motor
Carrier Information Analysis, Analysis Division (HIA-20), 400 Seventh
Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590.

Questions about this profile and the availability of other reports on
OMC crash data should be directed to Ralph Craft, Analysis Division
staff, at (202) 366-0324. The general number for the Analysis Division
is (202) 366-1861. Send FAX messages to (202) 366-8842.

***Executive Summary***

-   In 1996 in the United States there were 4,740 large trucks involved
    in **fatal** crashes, a six percent increase from the 4,472 involved
    in fatal crashes in 1995, but very close to the 1994 number of
    4,644. There were an estimated 94,000 trucks involved in injury
    crashes, a 13 percent increase from 1995, and an estimated 296,000
    involved in property-damage-only crashes, up two percent from 1995.

-   Fifty-nine percent of the trucks and buses involved in 1996
    **fatal** crashes, and slightly less than 50 percent involved in
    **non-fatal** crashes were tractors pulling single semi-trailers.
    About three-quarters of the trucks had gross vehicle weight ratings
    of more than 26,000 pounds. Only five percent were transporting
    hazardous materials.

-   Of truck drivers involved in **fatal** crashes eight percent were
    under 26 years old, and only two percent were over 65. By contrast
    24 percent of passenger vehicle drivers involved in **fatal**
    crashes with trucks were under 26, and 16 percent were over 65 years
    old.

-   Among truck drivers involved in **fatal** crashes only one percent
    had a blood alcohol content of 0.10 grams per deciliter or greater,
    the level for intoxication in most States. By contrast 20 percent of
    passenger vehicle drivers in fatal crashes had a 0.10 alcohol level
    or greater.

-   Driver-related crash factors were recorded for only 29 percent of
    truck drivers involved in **fatal** crashes with other vehicles.
    However, driver-related crash factors were recorded for 67 percent
    of the passenger vehicle drivers involved in **fatal** crashes with
    trucks.

-   Driver-related crash factors were recorded for 67 percent of truck
    drivers where the truck was the only vehicle involved in the
    **fatal** crash. An even higher 84 percent of passenger vehicle
    drivers involved in single vehicle **fatal** crashes were coded for
    at least one driver- related factor.

-   A large majority of 1996 **fatal** and **non-fatal** truck crashes
    occurred in good weather, during the day, and on weekdays.

-   The first harmful event in three-fourths of **fatal** truck crashes
    was the collision of the truck with another moving vehicle. About
    sixty percent of the first crash events for trucks involved in
    **non-fatal** crashes was a collision with another vehicle in
    transport.

-   The Office of Motor Carriers' Motor Carrier Management Information
    System (MCMIS) Crash File includes 95,027 trucks and buses that were
    involved in 1996 crashes, as of August 22, 1997. Of these, most were
    operated by interstate carriers and have been matched with carriers
    in the MCMIS Carrier Profile file.

-   **None of the available data addresses crash causation or fault.
    Thus, the data can only be suggestive as to the reasons for truck
    and bus crashes.**

**Contents** Page

Introduction 1

Profile Data Sources 1

Profile Outline 2

I. Trends 3

II\. Vehicles 7

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating . 9

Hazardous Materials Cargo 9

III\. Drivers 13

Driver Age 13

Driver License Status 14

Driver Condition 14

Driver Crash Factors 15

A Note of Caution 20

IV\. Environment 21

Weather and Road Surface Conditions 21

Light, Time of Day, and Day of Week 22

V. The Crash 25

Geographic Location 25

Crash Events 25

Type of Crash 27

Crash Roadways 28

VI\. Motor Carriers 31

VII\. MCMIS Crash File Progress 33

Concluding Comments 35

**List of Tables and Charts** Page

Table 1. Vehicle Involvement Rates for Large Trucks in Crashes 3

Chart Large Trucks in Fatal Crashes 4

Table 2. Buses and Large Trucks Involved in Crashes by Vehicle
Configuration 7

Table 3. Buses and Large Trucks Involved in Crashes by Cargo Body Type 8

Table 4. Large Trucks Involved in Crashes by Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
9

Table 5. Large Trucks Involved in Crashes Carrying Hazardous Materials
10

Table 6. Large Trucks Involved in Crashes that Released Hazardous
Materials Cargo 10

Table 7. Large Trucks Involved in Crashes by Class of Hazardous
Materials Leakage 11

Table 8. Drivers in Crashes Involving Large Trucks by Age 13

Table 9. Driver-Related Factors in Fatal Crashes between Large Trucks
and

Passenger Vehicles 17

Table 10. Driver-Related Factors in Single-Vehicle Fatal Crashes 18

Table 11. Passenger Vehicle Driver-Related Factors: Fatal Crashes
Between

Passenger Vehicles 19

Table 12. Large Trucks Involved in Crashes by Weather Condition 21

Table 13. Large Trucks Involved in Crashes by Road Surface Condition 22

Table 14. Large Trucks Involved in Crashes by Light Condition 23

Table 15. Large Trucks Involved in Crashes by Time of Day 23

Table 16. Large Trucks Involved in Crashes by Day of Week 24

Table 17. Large Trucks Involved in Crashes by First Harmful of First
Crash Event 26

Table 18. Large Trucks Involved in Crashes by Initial Impact Area 27

Table 19. Large Trucks Involved in Crashes by Roadway Type 28

Table 20. Large Trucks Involved in Crashes by Type of Trafficway 29

Table 21. Large Trucks in 1996 Fatal Crashes by State: FARS vs. MCMIS

Crash File 34

# Introduction

This National Truck Crash Profile contains descriptive statistics about
fatal and non-fatal (injury and property damage only) large truck
crashes that occurred in 1996. In addition the profile includes limited
data about buses involved in crashes. The profile includes only some of
the major aspects of truck crashes. Additional crash data on trucks,
buses, truck and bus drivers, and motor carriers can be obtained from
the Office of Motor Carriers.

[Profile Data Sources]{.underline}

The following are the major sources of the data included in the profile.
Several other sources used sparingly are referred to in the profile
text.

**Fatal Analysis Reporting System (FARS)** \-- maintained by the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The FARS is a
census of crashes involving any motor vehicle on a trafficway, *but only
fatal crashes*. It is generally considered to be the most reliable
national crash database. There were 4,755 large trucks involved in fatal
crashes in 1996. A large truck is defined in the FARS as a truck with a
gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of more than 10,000 pounds.

**General Estimates System (GES)** \-- also maintained by the NHTSA. The
GES is a probability-based, nationally-representative sample of all
police-reported fatal, injury, and property-damage crashes. Frequencies
from the GES file in the tables are national estimates, calculated using
an appropriate weighting variable. The GES data cannot be broken down by
States, since the crash cases drawn are aimed only at obtaining a valid
national sample. Furthermore, since GES is a sample file, estimates are
subject to sampling error. According to the GES there were an estimated
395,000 large trucks involved in crashes reported to police in 1996.
Thus, fatal crashes were slightly more than one percent of total large
truck crashes. The GES definition of a large truck is the same at the
FARS definition.

**Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS) Crash File** \--
maintained by the Office of Motor Carriers (OMC) of the Federal Highway
Administration. The MCMIS Crash File includes the National Governors'
Association (NGA) recommended data elements collected on trucks and
buses involved in crashes that meet the NGA recommended crash threshold.
The crashes are reported by States to the OMC through the SAFETYNET
computer reporting system. An NGA reportable crash must involve a truck
(a vehicle designed, used, or maintained primarily for carrying property
that has at least two axles and six tires) or a bus (a vehicle with
seats for at least sixteen people, including the driver). The crash must
result in at least one fatality; one injury where the person injured is
taken to a medical facility for immediate medical attention; or one
vehicle having been towed from the scene as a result of disabling damage
suffered in the crash.

The Crash File is intended to be a census of trucks and buses involved
in fatal, injury, and towaway crashes, but some States do not report all
NGA eligible crashes. For 1996, States reported 95,027 trucks involved
in crashes. By taking the GES large truck total crash number of 395,000
and subtracting the injury and property damage crashes that do not meet
the NGA crash criteria, there were an estimated 152,000 trucks involved
in crashes that should have been reported to the OMC. Thus, the OMC
received reports on about 61 percent of trucks involved in 1997 NGA
reportable crashes.

Over half the MCMIS Crash File non-fatal truck cases are injury crashes.
By contrast less than one-fourth of GES non-fatal crashes involved an
injury. Over three-fourths of GES non-fatal crashes were
property-damage-only crashes \-- many where not even a vehicle was towed
from the scene. Thus, it may be assumed that the typical GES crash is
less severe than the typical MCMIS crash.

[Profile Outline]{.underline}

The "fatal" columns of the profile tables usually include FARS data. In
the few cases where there are no FARS data for a variable, MCMIS fatal
crash data are used in the fatal column. The "non-fatal" columns include
data from the MCMIS Crash File and GES. Some tables contain only FARS
and MCMIS data, when GES data are not available. The profile has
sections on Trends, Vehicles, Drivers, Environment, the Crash, Motor
Carriers, and MCMIS Crash File Progress. **Truck and bus** data are
given in the first two tables in the Vehicle section, while **only
truck** data are presented in the other tables in the Vehicle Section
and in the other sections.

**Neither FARS, GES nor MCMIS databases contain information on crash
causation or fault. The data can be only suggestive about why truck and
bus crashes occur. Even so, the data can point toward problem areas that
may need to be addressed, and toward possible countermeasures.**

**I. Trends**

The number of large trucks involved in crashes from 1988 (the first year
GES data were available) to 1996 is presented below. A large truck is
defined in FARS and GES as a truck with a gross vehicle weight rating of
more than 10,000 pounds. In the table, FARS data are presented in the
fatal column, and GES data in the two non-fatal columns.

**Table 1**

**Vehicle Involvement Rates for Large Trucks in Crashes**

  ---------- ----------- ---------- ------------ ---------- ------------ ----------
  **Year**   **Fatal**              **Injury**              **Property   
                                                            Damage       
                                                            Only**       

             **Number of **Per 100  **Number of  **Per 100  **Number of  **Per 100
             Trucks**    million    Trucks**     million    Trucks**     million
                         VMT**                   VMT**                   VMT**

  1988       5,241       3.7        96,000       68         297,000      210

  1989       4,984       3.4        110,000      74         300,000      203

  1990       4,776       3.2        107,000      72         273,000      182

  1991       4,347       2.9        78,000       52         248,000      165

  1992       4,035       2.6        95,000       62         277,000      182

  1993       4,328       2.7        97,000       61         294,000      184

  1994       4,644       2.7        95,000       56         361,000      212

  1995       4,453       2.5        83,000       47         290,000      162

  1996       4,740       2.6        94,000       51         296,000      162
  ---------- ----------- ---------- ------------ ---------- ------------ ----------

Sources: FARS, GES, and FHWA Highway Statistics

The number of trucks involved in fatal crashes in 1996 is close to the
1990 figure, based on FARS data in Table 1. However, the fatal crash
rate has dropped from a high of 3.7 trucks involved in a fatal crash per
100 million truck miles traveled in 1988 to a low of 2.5 in 1995. The
number of trucks involved in injury and property-damage-only crashes,
based on GES data, has remained in a fairly narrow range from 1992
through 1996 \-- except for a drop in injury crashes in 1995 and a spike
in property crashes in 1994. The 1995 rate of 47 trucks involved in
injury crashes per 100 million vehicle miles traveled and the 1995-96
property damage rate of 162 are the lowest on record in those
categories.

The lines on the chart on the previous page represent three ways to
measure large truck fatal crash data. They are:

-   **Fatalities** in Crashes involving Large Trucks \-- This number is
    a count of **People** sustaining fatal injuries in crashes involving
    large trucks. Fatalities are always the largest number, since in
    some crashes involving large trucks more than one person dies. The
    fatalities may be occupants of the truck, occupants of the other
    vehicle, or pedestrians.

-   Large **Trucks** Involved in Fatal Crashes \-- This number is a
    count of **Vehicles**. Every year the number will always be in the
    middle in terms of size of the three ways to total the FARS data
    relating to large trucks.

-   Fatal **Crashes** Involving Large Trucks \-- This number is a count
    of **Crashes**, and will be the smallest number. It will be smaller
    than the truck number, because in a some fatal crashes there will be
    more than one large truck involved. Thus, the number of "trucks"
    every year will be slightly larger than the number of "crashes."

As can be seen on the chart, these three numbers are closely related and
move in the same direction from year to year. The three lines on the
chart have a low point in 1992. From 1986 through 1988 the number of
large trucks involved in fatal crashes was slightly over 5,000 each
year. From 1988 to 1992 there was a four-year decline in all three
measures, followed by a two- year rise to 1994. The number of trucks
involved in fatal crashes may have reached another stable level at
around the 4,500 level.

Crash rates for trucks involved in fatal, injury, and
property-damage-only crashes also reached a low point in 1992 and then
began rising (Table 1). However, in 1995 all three crash rates reached
their lowest point in the whole 1988-1996 period covered by the crash
rate data in Table 1.

Large trucks in fatal crashes in 1996 can be compared to all 1996 fatal
crashes:

-   The 5,126 people killed in crashes involving a large truck
    represented 12 percent of all people killed in traffic crashes.

-   The 4,740 trucks involved were eight percent of all vehicles
    involved in fatal crashes.

-   Finally, the 4,398 crashes in which at least one large truck was
    involved represented 12 percent of fatal crashes.

**II. Vehicles**

The typical commercial vehicle involved in a crash in 1996 in the United
States was a truck-tractor pulling a single semi-trailer that was a
van/enclosed box or flatbed. The truck was capable of carrying a large
cargo load. Only a very small percent of the trucks were carrying
hazardous materials at the time of the crash.

**Table 2**

**Buses and Large Trucks Involved in Crashes**

**by Vehicle Configuration**

  ---------------------------- -------------- --------------- --------------
  **Vehicle Configuration**    **Fatal:       **Non-Fatal**   
                               FARS**                         

                                              **MCMIS**       **GES**

  Bus (seats \> than 15)       6.2%           8.0%            12.9%

  Single Unit Truck, 2-axle    9.3%           12.1%           13.4%

  Single Unit Truck, 3+axle    8.9%           8.3%            

  Truck/Trailer(s)             3.1%           8.8%            0.9%

  Truck Tractor (bobtail)      2.6%           2.6%            2.1%

  Tractor/semi-trailer         59.3%          48.7%           44.7%

  Tractor/double               3.1%           3.0%            1.3%

  Tractor/triple               0.1%           0.1%            0.1%

  Unknown                      7.3%           3.3%            24.7%

  Missing                      \-\--          5.1%            \-\--

  **Totals**                   **5,060**      **96,787**      **447,000**
  ---------------------------- -------------- --------------- --------------

Sources: FARS, MCMIS Crash File, and GES

Fifty-nine percent of the trucks and buses involved in fatal crashes in
crashes in 1996 were tractors pulling semi-trailers, usually an
18-wheeler (Table 2). For non-fatal crashes 49 percent of the trucks and
buses in the MCMIS Crash File and 45 percent in the GES file were
tractor semi-trailers. If buses are removed from the data, tractor
semi-trailers make up close to two-thirds of the trucks involved in
fatal crashes and over half of those involved in non-fatal crashes. In
fact, the ratio of combination trucks (trucks pulling trailers and
tractors pulling single trailers, double trailers, and triple trailers)
to single-unit trucks in fatal and non-fatal crashes is about three to
one. These percentages have varied little in the past five years. Single
unit trucks accounted for only 18 percent of the trucks and buses
involved in fatal crashes in 1996. In the MCMIS Crash File single unit
trucks account for 20 percent of the trucks and buses involved in
non-fatal crashes, and 13 percent in the GES data. Buses accounted for
only six percent of involvements in fatal crashes, eight percent of
MCMIS non-fatals, and 13 percent of GES non-fatals. The truck and bus
crash data are dominated by combination trucks.

**Table 3**

**Buses and Large Trucks Involved**

**in Crashes by Cargo Body Type**

  ---------------------------------- ------------------ ------------------
  **Cargo Body**                     **Fatal**          **Non-Fatal**

  Bus (seats for \> 15)              6.2%               8.0%

  Van/Enclosed Box                   39.0%              33.2%

  Cargo Tank                         7.2%               4.7%

  Flatbed                            11.4%              10.4%

  Dump                               9.4%               8.0%

  Concrete Mixer                     1.1%               2.4%

  Auto Transporter                   0.6%               0.6%

  Garbage/Refuse                     2.0%               2.2%

  Other                              10.4%              21.3%

  Unknown                            12.8%              0.0%

  Missing                            \-\--              9.0%

  **Totals**                         **5,060**          **96,787**
  ---------------------------------- ------------------ ------------------

Sources: FARS and MCMIS Crash File

One-third of the trucks and buses involved in crashes (39 percent of the
fatals, 33 percent of the non-fatals) had a van/enclosed box cargo body
type (Table 3). The other three highest-ranking cargo body types account
for less than another third of the total. These are flatbeds (11 percent
of fatals, 10 percent of non-fatals); dump trucks (nine percent fatals,
eight percent non-fatals); and cargo tank trucks (seven percent of
fatals, five percent of non-fatals). Cargo tanks are those most likely
to carry hazardous materials in bulk.

Buses accounted for only six percent of vehicles involved in fatal
crashes and eight percent in non-fatal crashes. In the FARS file most of
these are classified as either transit or school buses, as opposed to
highway motor coaches. The MCMIS Crash File motor carrier identification
variables confirm that most buses in crashes are operated by school
districts or transit systems. Thus, since buses are less than ten
percent of the vehicles involved in the crashes examined here, and the
OMC has responsibility for regulating only a small percent of the buses
involved in crashes \-- inter-city bus companies that operate highway
motor coaches most of the time \-- bus data will be omitted from the
remaining sections of this profile.

[Gross Vehicle Weight Rating]{.underline}

The gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) is the maximum manufacture's
recommended total weight for the vehicle and its cargo. Trucks involved
in crashes are overwhelmingly those that can carry heavy loads.

**Table 4**

**Large Trucks Involved in Crashes**

**by Gross Vehicle Weight Rating**

  ------------------------------- ------------------- -------------------
  **GVWR**                        **Fatal**           **Non-Fatal**

  Under 10,000 lbs                0.4%                1.1%

  10,000 - 26,000 lbs             8.2%                8.1%

  Over 26,000 lbs                 78.6%               73.3%

  Unknown                         6.9%                17.5%

  Missing                         5.9%                \-\--

  **Totals**                      **4,740**           **89,066**
  ------------------------------- ------------------- -------------------

Sources: FARS and MCMIS Crash File

Over three-fourths of the trucks involved in fatal crashes (79 percent)
and almost three-fourths of those involved in non-fatal crashes (73
percent) have GVWRs over 26,000 pounds. This compares to the average
passenger car that has a GVWR in the 2,000-4,000 pound range. Only eight
percent of the trucks involved in fatal and non-fatal crashes have GVWRs
in the 10,000-26,000 pound range. Almost all these are single-unit
trucks.

[Hazardous Materials Cargo]{.underline}

One note should be mentioned about the following hazardous materials
(HM) tables. In the FARS data, large trucks are counted as carrying
hazardous materials, if they display an HM placard, or if later
investigation shows that they were carrying HM without a placard. For
the NGA crash data element, however, the reporting officer just records
the presence of an HM placard on the truck. Some suspect that there are
a significant number of trucks that carry hazardous materials without
displaying the required HM placards.

**Table 5**

**Large Trucks Involved in Crashes**

**Carrying Hazardous Materials**

+------------------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+
| **HazMat Placard**     | **Fatal:**   | *            |              |
|                        |              | *Non-Fatal** |              |
|                        | **FARS**     |              |              |
+------------------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+
|                        |              | **MCMIS**    | **GES**      |
+------------------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+
| Yes                    | 4.7%         | 3.7%         | 1.5%         |
+------------------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+
| No                     | 93.6%        | 44.5%        | 0.0%         |
+------------------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+
| Unknown                | 1.6%         | \-\--        | 98.5%        |
+------------------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+
| Missing                | \-\--        | 51.8%        | \-\--        |
+------------------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+
| **Totals**             | **4,740**    | **89,066**   | **390,000**  |
+------------------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+

Sources: FARS, MCMIS Crash File, and GES

With the caveats in mind, the data in Table 5 indicate that only a small
percentage of trucks in crashes displayed an HM placard. With regard to
fatal crashes, only five percent of the trucks displayed an HM placard,
while in non-fatal crashes four percent of trucks in the MCMIS Crash
File and two percent of trucks in GES displayed an HM placard. The large
percent of missing data in MCMIS is disappointing. In most of these
cases officers probably do not respond to this element on the police
accident reports if no placard is present, as opposed to checking the
"No" response. The even larger percent of unknown data in GES is also
disappointing.

**Table 6**

**Large Trucks Involved in Crashes**

**that Released Hazardous Materials Cargo**

  --------------------------- --------------------- ---------------------
  **Cargo Release**           **Fatal**             **Non-fatal**

  Yes                         33.6%                 28.2%

  No                          66.4%                 71.8%

  **Totals**                  **45**                **795**
  --------------------------- --------------------- ---------------------

Source: MCMIS Crash File

Hazardous materials were released from the cargo compartment in 34
percent of vehicles displaying an HM placard that were involved in fatal
crashes and 28 percent of the non-fatal crashes, according to MCMIS
Crash File data in Table 6. Neither FARS nor GES have HM cargo release
data.

The Trucks Involved in Fatal Accidents (TIFA) database from the
University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute is the most
reliable fatal crash database for trucks. For the years 1992 through
1995 there was an average of 193 trucks a year carrying HM involved in
fatal crashes. Of these an average of 28 percent released HM cargo as a
result of the crash, a figure slightly lower than that recorded in the
1996 MCMIS Crash File. Final 1996 TIFA data will not be available for
several months.

**Table 7**

**Large Trucks Involved in Crashes**

**by Class of Hazardous Materials Leakage**

  ---------------------------------------- --------------- ---------------
  **Class of HM Leakage**                  **Fatal**       **Non-Fatal**

  Explosives                               7%              25.8%

  Gases                                    9%              7.7%

  Flammable Liquid                         38%             22.5%

  Flammable Solids                         0%              0.3%

  Oxidizing Substances                     0%              0.3%

  Poison & Infectious Substances           0%              1.5%

  Radioactive Material                     0%              0.1%

  Corrosives                               0%              1.9%

  Miscellaneous Dangerous Goods            9%              25.9%

  Missing                                  36%             14.1%

  **Totals**                               **45**          **795**
  ---------------------------------------- --------------- ---------------

Source: MCMIS Crash File

For trucks involved in fatal crashes that released hazardous materials,
the most common HM released from the truck was a flammable liquid (38
percent), almost always gasoline. The HM class was not recorded for 36
percent of the trucks that released HM in fatal crashes. None of the
other classes accounted for more than nine percent of the releases in
fatal crashes. The most important number in the fatal column is that
only 45 trucks released HM in fatal crashes reported to the MCMIS Crash
File in 1996.

In cases of trucks releasing HM in non-fatal crashes explosives
accounted for 26 percent of the releases, flammable liquids 23 percent,
and gases 8 percent. None of the other HM classes accounted for more
than two percent of the cases. The total numbers at the bottom of the
table show that out of the more than 92,000 MCMIS Crash File trucks in
crashes in the 1996 file, HM were released in only 840 cases.

Thus, hazardous materials are a minor element in truck crashes. First,
only a small percent of trucks involved in crashes carry hazardous
materials. Second, the HM carried usually stays in the cargo
compartment. Therefore, HM releases rarely play a role in deaths or
injuries. The Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA)
reported an average of only 11 deaths a year attributable to exposure to
HM in highway crashes over the past ten years. Since RSPA data come only
from interstate carriers, total fatalities are understated, perhaps by a
multiple of three. In any event total fatalities related to exposure to
HM in highway crashes would be a small percent of the 5,126 total
fatalities in large truck crashes in 1996.

**III. Drivers**

The average age of truck drivers involved in 1996 crashes was between 26
and 45 years old. A large majority had valid drivers licenses at the
time of the crash, and were in apparently normal condition. Most did not
have any driver-related crash factors recorded when involved in a fatal
crash. Drivers of the passenger vehicles in fatal collisions with trucks
were more likely than the drivers of the trucks to be under 26 years old
and over 65, have invalid drivers licenses, be legally drunk, and be
cited for driver-related crash factors.

[Driver Age]{.underline}

The FARS and GES databases have information on all drivers involved in
fatal and non-fatal crashes, while the MCMIS Crash File only has data on
the truck or bus driver. In over three-fourths of fatal and non-fatal
truck crashes, the truck collides with a passenger vehicle \-- a
passenger car or light truck (pickup, van, or sport utility vehicle).
Table 8 contains data on the ages of the drivers of large trucks and the
drivers of passenger vehicles involved in fatal and non-fatal crashes
between large trucks and passenger vehicles. The two columns of FARS
data contain the ages for truck drivers and passenger vehicle drivers
involved in fatal crashes with each other. The last two columns have GES
data on the ages of the truck drivers and passenger vehicle drivers
involved in non-fatal crashes with each other.

**Table 8**

**Drivers in Crashes Involving Large Trucks**

**Colliding with Passenger Vehicles by Driver Age**

+-----------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| *         | **Fatal**   |             | **          |             |
| *Driver** |             |             | Non-Fatal** |             |
|           |             |             |             |             |
| **Age**   |             |             |             |             |
+-----------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
|           | **Large     | **Passenger | **Large     | **Passenger |
|           | Trucks**    | Vehicles**  | Trucks**    | Vehicles**  |
+-----------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| \< 25     | 7.9%        | 23.9%       | 10.3%       | 23.3%       |
+-----------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 26-45     | 57.4%       | 38.0%       | 54.7%       | 44.7%       |
+-----------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 46-65     | 32.6%       | 21.6%       | 30.0%       | 22.2%       |
+-----------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 66-75     | 1.6%        | 8.7%        | 1.2%        | 6.6%        |
+-----------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 76 \>     | 0.1%        | 7.4%        | 0.3%        | 3.2%        |
+-----------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Unk/Miss. | 0.4%        | 0.3%        | \-\--       | \-\--       |
+-----------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| *         | **3,603**   | **4,256**   | **277,000** | **302,000** |
| *Totals** |             |             |             |             |
+-----------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+

Sources: FARS and GES

The age profiles of the truck drivers involved in fatal crashes with
passenger vehicles, and the drivers of those cars and light trucks are
very different (Table 8). Only eight percent of the truck drivers were
younger than 26 years old and only two percent older than 65. By
contrast 24 percent of the drivers of the passenger vehicles were
younger than 26 and 16 percent older than 65. Thus, while 40 percent of
the passenger vehicle drivers were either under 26 or over 65, only ten
percent of the truck drivers were in these two age categories.

The age profiles are similar in non-fatal truck/passenger vehicle
crashes. Only ten percent of truck drivers in these non-fatal crashes
were under the age of 26, and two percent over 65. Twenty-three percent
of passenger vehicle drivers in these crashes were under 25 years old,
and ten percent were over 65 \-- one-third at the two extremes of the
age scale.

It should be noted that drivers must be at least 21 years old to obtain
a commercial drivers license (CDL). A CDL is needed to operate a truck
in commerce with a gross vehicle weight rating of over 26,000 pounds, or
drive a truck of any GVWR carrying hazardous materials.

[Driver License Status]{.underline}

The FARS database contains information on the status of each driver's
license. A large majority of all drivers involved in fatal truck crashes
held valid licenses. However, there are differences between the large
truck and passenger vehicle drivers.

Of the drivers of large trucks involved in fatal crashes with passenger
vehicles, 86 percent held valid CDLs and another nine percent held other
valid licenses at the time of the crash, for a total of 95 percent.
(NOTE: Since CDLs are not required to drive all large trucks, the
presence of another valid license can be sufficient to comply with the
law.) Among the remaining five percent of the truck drivers 84 had
suspended, revoked, expired, or canceled licenses; 12 had other invalid
licenses; 9 had no license; and the status of the final 86 was not
known.

Among the drivers of the passenger vehicles involved in fatal crashes
with large trucks, 90 percent had valid licenses, compared with 95
percent of truck drivers. Among the remaining ten percent of passenger
vehicle drivers 123 had no license; 251 had a suspended, revoked,
expired, or canceled license; and the license status of 45 was not
known.

Thus, while 105 truck drivers out of the 3,603 (three percent) involved
in a fatal crash with a passenger vehicle had an invalid license, 419 of
the passenger vehicle drivers out of 4,255 (ten percent) involved in
these crashes possessed invalid licenses or none at all. The proportion
of passenger vehicle drivers with invalid or no licenses in these
crashes was over three times higher than the proportion of truck drivers
with invalid or no licenses.

[Driver Condition]{.underline}

One NGA crash data element is apparent driver condition, and is based on
the reporting police officer's opinion. Of the 3,174 truck drivers in
fatal crashes in the MCMIS Crash File, "appeared normal" was checked 74
percent of the time, unknown 12 percent of the time, and 10 percent of
the cases had no driver condition recorded. For the remaining four
percent of the drivers, 64 were affected by fatigue or asleep, 41 had
been drinking, 37 had used illegal drugs, and seven were sick. In
non-fatal crashes 81 percent appeared normal, and the unknown and
missing totaled 17 percent. Among the other two percent, 1,170 appeared
to be affected by fatigue or were asleep, 523 had been drinking, 77 had
been using drugs illegally, and 152 were sick.

According to FARS data only one percent of truck drivers involved in
fatal crashes had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.10 grams per
deciliter or greater. The 0.10 level is considered the standard level to
determine intoxication, although some States now use 0.08 grams per
deciliter. For passenger vehicle drivers in fatal crashes 20 percent had
a blood alcohol content of 0.10 grams per deciliters or greater, 20
times higher than truck drivers.

[Driver Crash Factors]{.underline}

Driver-related crash factors recorded by police officers at the scene
are included in FARS. The three tables below have: (1) a comparison
between the driver factors for large trucks versus passenger vehicles
where fatal large truck-passenger vehicle(s) collisions take place, (2)
a comparison between large truck and passenger driver factors for each
type of vehicle when involved in single-vehicle fatal crashes, and (3) a
list of passenger vehicle driver-related crash factors when passenger
vehicles collide with other passenger vehicles in fatal crashes.
Passenger vehicles include automobiles, vans, mini-vans, pickup trucks,
sport utility vehicles, etc.

The FARS database includes 98 different driver-related crash factors. In
each of the three tables only 12 factors are listed. In Tables 8 and 9
the top 12 factors for the truck drivers are listed, and the
corresponding percentages for the passenger vehicle drivers. In Table 10
the top 12 factors for the passenger vehicle drivers are recorded. The
FARS coders include up to three driver- related factors for each driver
involved in a crash. The tables include the percent of drivers cited for
each factor, whether that factor was the only one listed for the driver,
or was the second or third factor. Thus, when adding the percentages for
the major driver factors cited for large trucks or passenger vehicles,
the number will usually exceed the percent of total drivers recorded
with factors. For example, only 29 percent of truck drivers involved in
fatal crashes with passenger vehicles were assigned driver-related
factors. However, the number of truck drivers cited for the top 12
factors totals 33 percent. Clearly many truck drivers were cited for
more than one factor.

The following is a list of the factors presented in the three tables,
and information about each from the FARS coding manual, if additional
explanation was given. Further questions about the factors should be
directed to the NHTSA.

-   Driving Too Fast \-- Driving too fast for conditions, or in excess
    of posted maximum speed limit

-   Ran Off Road/Lane \-- Failure to keep in proper lane or running off
    road

-   Failure to Yield Right of Way \-- Failure to yield to pedestrian,
    other vehicles, streetcar already in intersection

-   Failure to Obey Traffic Devices \-- Failure to obey actual traffic
    sign, traffic control device, or traffic officer; failure to obey
    safety zone traffic laws

-   Inattentive \-- Driver distracted by cigarette, children, adjusting
    radio and other devices, reading, talking, television, etc.

-   Manslaughter, Homicide \-- Non-traffic violation charged
    (manslaughter or other homicide offense committed without malice)

-   Erratic/Reckless Driving \-- Operating a vehicle in an erratic,
    reckless, careless or negligent manner; operating at erratic or
    suddenly changing speeds

-   Following Improperly \-- Following too closely; vehicles in caravan
    too close to allow entry

-   Vision Obscured by Weather \-- Vision obscured by rain, snow, fog,
    smoke, sand dust

-   Ice, Water, Snow on Road \-- Ice, snow, slush, water, sand, dirt,
    oil, wet leaves on road

-   Vehicle in Road \-- Vehicle includes both contact and non-contact
    vehicles that remain at the scene

-   Driving Wrong Side of Road \-- Driving on wrong side of road
    intentionally or unintentionally

-   Drowsy/Asleep \-- Drowsy, sleepy, asleep, fatigued not due to other
    factors, such as drugs

-   Over Correcting \-- Based police officer judgment, with knowledge of
    driver's intention

-   Hit and Run Vehicle Driver \-- (no explanation given)

-   Making Improper Turn \-- Too wide a right or left turn; unsafe
    U-turn

Passing with Insufficient Distance \-- Passing with insufficient
distance or inadequate visibility or failing to yield to overtaking
vehicle

> **Table 9**

**Driver-Related Factors in Fatal Crashes**

**between Large Trucks and Passenger Vehicles**

  ------------------------------------------ -------------- --------------
  **Driver-Related Factors**                 **Large        **Passenger
                                             Trucks**       Vehicles**

  **Driver Factor(s) Recorded?**                            

  Yes                                        28.9%          66.6%

  No                                         71.1%          33.4%

  **Total Drivers**                          **3,603**      **4,256**

  **Selected Factors**                                      

  Driving Too Fast                           5.9%           14.1%

  Ran Off Road/Lane                          5.1%           19.9%

  Failure to Yield Right of Way              4.6%           14.4%

  Failure to Obey Traffic Devices            3.2%           8.4%

  Inattentive                                2.9%           8.7%

  Manslaughter, Homicide                     2.7%           1.3%

  Erratic/Reckless Driving                   2.1%           4.3%

  Following Improperly                       2.1%           2.7%

  Vision Obscured by Weather                 1.8%           2.1%

  Ice, Water, Snow on Road                   0.9%           2.8%

  Vehicle in Road                            0.9%           1.0%

  Driving Wrong Side of Road                 0.8%           3.9%
  ------------------------------------------ -------------- --------------

Source: FARS

Truck driver-related factors were cited by officers at the scene in 29
percent of fatal truck crashes where the truck collided with a passenger
vehicle or vehicles. Among the individual factors cited the three most
common were driving too fast (six percent), ran off road or lane (five
percent), and failure to yield the right-of-way (also five percent).

The picture is radically different for passenger vehicle drivers
involved in fatal crashes with trucks. Police officers cited passenger
vehicle driver factors in 67 percent of the cases nationwide, over twice
as often as that for truck drivers. The top three factors for these
drivers also were ran off road or out of traffic lane (20 percent),
failure to yield right-of-way (14 percent), and driving too fast (also
14 percent). However, inattentive (9 percent) and failure to obey
traffic control devices (8 percent) were also frequently noted. Compared
to truck drivers a higher percent of passenger vehicle drivers were
recorded for 10 of the 12 factors, the exceptions being
manslaughter/homicide and vehicle in the road, and the differences were
not large in these cases.

> **Table 10**

**Driver-Related Factors**

**in Single-Vehicle Fatal Crashes**

+------------------------------------------+-------------+-------------+
| **Driver-Related Factors**               | **Large     | **          |
|                                          | Trucks**    | Passenger** |
|                                          |             |             |
|                                          |             | *           |
|                                          |             | *Vehicles** |
+------------------------------------------+-------------+-------------+
| **Driver Factor(s) Recorded?**           |             |             |
+------------------------------------------+-------------+-------------+
| Yes                                      | 67.2%       | 84.1%       |
+------------------------------------------+-------------+-------------+
| No                                       | 32.8%       | 15.9%       |
+------------------------------------------+-------------+-------------+
| **Total Drivers**                        | **750**     | **18,579**  |
+------------------------------------------+-------------+-------------+
| **Selected Factors**                     |             |             |
+------------------------------------------+-------------+-------------+
| Ran off Road/Lane                        | 36.9%       | 54.9%       |
+------------------------------------------+-------------+-------------+
| Driving too Fast                         | 18.5%       | 37.1%       |
+------------------------------------------+-------------+-------------+
| Inattentive                              | 9.9%        | 8.8%        |
+------------------------------------------+-------------+-------------+
| Drowsy/Asleep                            | 7.7%        | 5.4%        |
+------------------------------------------+-------------+-------------+
| Erratic/Reckless Driving                 | 4.9%        | 8.1%        |
+------------------------------------------+-------------+-------------+
| Failure to Yield Right-of-Way            | 3.7%        | 2.5%        |
+------------------------------------------+-------------+-------------+
| Over Correcting                          | 3.3%        | 7.0%        |
+------------------------------------------+-------------+-------------+
| Failure to Obey                          | 2.9%        | 2.2%        |
+------------------------------------------+-------------+-------------+
| Hit and Run Vehicle Driver               | 2.8%        | 3.3%        |
+------------------------------------------+-------------+-------------+
| Making Improper Turn                     | 2.8%        | 3.8%        |
+------------------------------------------+-------------+-------------+
| Manslaughter, Homicide                   | 2.4%        | 4.8%        |
+------------------------------------------+-------------+-------------+
| Vision Obscured by Weather               | 1.1%        | 0.6%        |
+------------------------------------------+-------------+-------------+

Source: FARS

Police cited 67 percent of truck drivers in single-vehicle fatals with
driver-related factors, with 84 percent of passenger vehicle drivers
cited. Ran off road and driving too fast were the most common factors
for both groups, with passenger vehicle drivers cited more often.
Inattentive (10 percent) and drowsy/asleep (8 percent) rank third and
fourth for truck drivers, with numbers higher than those for passenger
vehicle drivers.

**Table 11**

**Passenger Vehicle Driver-Related Factors:**

**Fatal Crashes Between Passenger Vehicles**

  ---------------------------------------------- ------------------------
  **Driver-Related Factors**                     **Passenger Vehicles**

  **Driver Factor(s) Recorded?**                 

  Yes                                            51.1%

  No                                             48.9%

  **Total Drivers**                              **25,685**

  **Selected Factors**                           

  Failure to Yield Right-of-Way                  14.1%

  Ran off Road/Lane                              13.4%

  Driving Too Fast                               10.1%

  Failure to Obey                                8.0%

  Inattentive                                    5.0%

  Homicide                                       3.9%

  Erratic/Reckless Driving                       3.5%

  Wrong Side of Road                             3.4%

  Making Improper Turn                           1.8%

  Ice, Water, Snow on Road                       1.8%

  Passing with Insufficient Distance             1.2%

  Hit and Run                                    1.1%
  ---------------------------------------------- ------------------------

Source: FARS

Fifty-one percent of passenger vehicle drivers were recorded for
driver-related crash factors when only passenger vehicles were involved
in the multi-vehicle fatal crashes (Table 11). But an even higher 68
percent of passenger vehicle drivers were cited with driver related
factors when their vehicles were involved in fatal crashes with trucks
(Table 9), a difference of 17 percentage points.

This difference of 17 percentage points perhaps illustrates that
passenger vehicle drivers may not be as knowledgeable or careful about
driving around trucks, as they are when driving around other
non-commercial vehicles. However, the major factors recorded by police
for passenger vehicles are similar, whether they collide with trucks or
other passenger vehicles. The three most cited factors for passenger
vehicle drivers \-- in either type of fatal crash \-- are failure to
yield right-of-way, running off the road or out of the traffic lane, and
driving too fast. Most of the other major passenger vehicle
driver-related crash factors recorded in Table 9 also show up in Table
11.

[A Note of Caution]{.underline}

"Related Factor" does not necessarily mean fault or crash cause. As
noted in the second edition of the MCSAFE safety update, published by
the OMC Analysis Division in November 1996, related factors are merely
the judgment of the officer at the scene and are **not** based on a
thorough evaluation of the crash in an attempt to determine the cause of
the crash or crash contributing factors. Some of the factors in the
tables, such as manslaughter/homicide and hit and run driver, are
charges assessed to drivers after the crash, not descriptions of
pre-crash behavior that lead to crashes.

Given this caveat, the data presented in this section in Tables 9, 10,
and 11 merely suggest that more comprehensive crash evaluations might
lead to the conclusion that drivers of passenger vehicles are at fault
in more fatal large truck-passenger vehicle crashes than the drivers of
the large trucks.

A final caution is that fatal crashes account for less than two percent
of total truck crashes. There are no national data on driver-related
crash factors in injury and property-damage-only crashes.

**IV. Environment**

Most truck crashes occur in favorable weather conditions, on dry
pavement, during the day, and on a weekday. Passenger vehicle crashes
are more likely to take place at night and on weekends.

[Weather and Road Surface Conditions]{.underline}

Weather problems are present in only a small minority of truck crashes,
according to the data in the following two tables.

**Table 12**

**Large Trucks Involved in Crashes**

**by Weather Condition**

+--------------------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+
| **Weather Condition**    | **Fatal:**   | *            |              |
|                          |              | *Non-Fatal** |              |
|                          | **FARS**     |              |              |
+--------------------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+
|                          |              | **MCMIS**    | **GES**      |
+--------------------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+
| No Adverse Conditions    | 81.8%        | 67.0%        | 83.7%        |
+--------------------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+
| Rain                     | 9.4%         | 11.9%        | 11.3%        |
+--------------------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+
| Sleet, Hail              | 0.7%         | 1.2%         | 0.4%         |
+--------------------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+
| Snow                     | 4.6%         | 5.6%         | 3.8%         |
+--------------------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+
| Fog                      | 2.7%         | 1.7%         | 0.3%         |
+--------------------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+
| Other                    | 0.8%         | 6.0%         | 0.5%         |
+--------------------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+
| Unknown                  | 0.1%         | 0.6%         | 0.0%         |
+--------------------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+
| Missing                  | 0.0%         | 6.0%         | \-\--        |
+--------------------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+
| **Totals**               | **4,740**    | **89,066**   | **390,000**  |
+--------------------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+

Sources: FARS, MCMIS Crash File, and GES

> For 82 percent of the trucks involved in fatal crashes, there were no
> adverse water conditions at the time of the crash. According to GES
> data there were no adverse weather conditions for a similar 84 percent
> of trucks involved in non-fatal crashes, while the MCMIS Crash File
> number was a lower 67 percent of trucks. The fact that six percent of
> the MCMIS data is missing probably accounts for some of the difference
> between MCMIS results and the other two databases on this response
> category. Rain is the most prevalent adverse condition by far, but was
> present in only nine percent of the cases where a truck was involved
> in a fatal crash and 11 to 12 percent of the involvements in non-fatal
> crashes. Snow ranks second as an adverse condition, but was present in
> only about five percent of the fatal and non-fatal truck crash cases.
>
> **Table 13**

**Large Trucks Involved in Crashes**

**by Road Surface Condition**

+--------------------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| **Road Surface           | **Fatal:**  | **          |             |
| Condition**              |             | Non-Fatal** |             |
|                          | **FARS**    |             |             |
+--------------------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
|                          |             | **MCMIS**   | **GES**     |
+--------------------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Dry                      | 78.1%       | 65.9%       | 74.0%       |
+--------------------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Wet                      | 15.1%       | 16.9%       | 17.9%       |
+--------------------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Snow or Slush            | 3.1%        | 4.4%        | 2.7%        |
+--------------------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Ice                      | 3.2%        | 5.9%        | 4.7%        |
+--------------------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Sand, Mud, Dirt, or Oil  | 0.1%        | 0.2%        | 0.4%        |
+--------------------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Other                    | 0.2%        | 0.2%        | 0.2%        |
+--------------------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Unknown                  | 0.2%        | 0.5%        | 0.0%        |
+--------------------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Missing                  | \-\--       | 6.0%        | 0.0%        |
+--------------------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| **Totals**               | **4,740**   | **89,066**  | **390,000** |
+--------------------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+

Sources: FARS, MCMIS Crash File, and GES

Table 13 data are consistent with that in Table 12. Almost four-fifths
of trucks involved in fatal crashes and non-fatal crashes (according to
GES) occurred on dry pavement. According to the MCMIS Crash File
two-thirds of the cases of trucks involved in non-fatal crashes took
place on dry pavement. Here again the six percent missing data in MCMIS
probably accounts for much of the difference with the FARS and GES
results. Wet pavement was cited for 15 percent of trucks involved in
fatal crashes, 17 percent of trucks involved in non-fatals in the MCMIS
data, and 18 percent in non-fatals in GES. Ice was in second place for
non-dry road surfaces, accounting for three percent of trucks involved
in fatal crashes, six percent in non-fatal crashes according to MCMIS,
and five percent involved in non-fatals according to GES.

[Light, Time of Day, and Day of Week]{.underline}

The following three tables provide data on light conditions when the
crash occurred, the time of day, and the day of the week. While a large
majority of fatal truck crashes take place during the day, about half of
passenger vehicle fatal crashes occur at night. Passenger vehicle fatal
crashes are also more likely to occur on weekend days than truck fatal
crashes.

**Table 14**

**Large Trucks Involved in Crashes**

**by Light Condition**

+------------------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+
| **Light Condition**    | **Fatal:**   | *            |              |
|                        |              | *Non-Fatal** |              |
|                        | **FARS**     |              |              |
+------------------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+
|                        |              | **MCMIS**    | **GES**      |
+------------------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+
| Daylight               | 64.5%        | 68.3%        | 79.9%        |
+------------------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+
| Dark - not lighted     | 23.0%        | 13.9%        | 9.1%         |
+------------------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+
| Dark - lighted         | 8.0%         | 7.2%         | 7.5%         |
+------------------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+
| Dawn                   | 3.0%         | 2.3%         | 1.6%         |
+------------------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+
| Dusk                   | 1.5%         | 1.6%         | 1.8%         |
+------------------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+
| Unknown/Missing        | 0.0%         | 6.6%         | \-\--        |
+------------------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+
| **Totals**             | **4,740**    | **89,066**   | **390,000**  |
+------------------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+

Sources: FARS, MCMIS Crash File, and GES

> **Table 15**

**Large Trucks Involved in Crashes by Time of Day**

+------------------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+
| **Time**               | **Fatal:**   | *            |              |
|                        |              | *Non-Fatal** |              |
|                        | **FARS**     |              |              |
+------------------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+
|                        |              | **MCMIS**    | **GES**      |
+------------------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+
| 12:00am- 2:59am        | 7.9%         | 5.0%         | 2.6%         |
+------------------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+
| 3:00 - 5:59            | 7.9%         | 6.6%         | 3.5%         |
+------------------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+
| 6:00 - 8:59            | 14.2%        | 16.7%        | 16.3%        |
+------------------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+
| 9:00 - 11:59           | 16.9%        | 20.1%        | 23.7%        |
+------------------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+
| 12:00pm- 2:59pm        | 18.7%        | 20.0%        | 22.7%        |
+------------------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+
| 3:00 - 5:59            | 16.8%        | 17.5%        | 20.0%        |
+------------------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+
| 6:00 - 8:59            | 9.2%         | 8.0%         | 6.8%         |
+------------------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+
| 9:00 - 11:59           | 7.5%         | 6.0%         | 4.3%         |
+------------------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+
| **Totals**             | **4,740**    | **89,066**   | **390,000**  |
+------------------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+

Sources: FARS, MCMIS Crash File, and GES

For 65 percent of the trucks involved in fatal crashes the crash takes
place during daylight conditions, while for non-fatal involvements
daytime accounts for 68 percent of the trucks in MCMIS and 80 percent of
the cases in GES (Table 14). The data in Table 15 are consistent with
Table 14 \-- for 67 percent of the trucks involved in fatal crashes the
crash occurred between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., daytime business hours,
plus commuting time. For non-fatal truck crash involvements the daytime
figures are higher \-- 74 percent of the trucks involved in crashes in
the MCMIS Crash File and 83 percent in the GES file occurred between
6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.

The time pattern of truck crashes contrasts sharply with that of
passenger vehicles. The NHTSA defines night as being 6:00 p.m. to 5:59
a.m. While the crashes for only 33 percent of trucks involved in fatal
crashes took place during the 12 hours of night, the crashes for 46
percent of passenger vehicles were involved in fatal crashes occurred at
night. A considerable amount of truck freight moves at night, but
trucking is a business where most pickups and deliveries are made during
normal business hours.

**Table 16**

**Large Trucks Involved in Crashes**

**by Day of Week**

+-----------------------+---------------+---------------+---------------+
| **Day**               | **Fatal:**    | **Non-Fatal** |               |
|                       |               |               |               |
|                       | **FARS**      |               |               |
+-----------------------+---------------+---------------+---------------+
|                       |               | **MCMIS**     | **GES**       |
+-----------------------+---------------+---------------+---------------+
| Sunday                | 6.4%          | 5.0%          | 3.4%          |
+-----------------------+---------------+---------------+---------------+
| Monday                | 17.6%         | 17.5%         | 16.8%         |
+-----------------------+---------------+---------------+---------------+
| Tuesday               | 16.9%         | 17.6%         | 18.8%         |
+-----------------------+---------------+---------------+---------------+
| Wednesday             | 16.5%         | 17.0%         | 18.7%         |
+-----------------------+---------------+---------------+---------------+
| Thursday              | 16.7%         | 17.4%         | 17.2%         |
+-----------------------+---------------+---------------+---------------+
| Friday                | 17.1%         | 18.0%         | 18.4%         |
+-----------------------+---------------+---------------+---------------+
| Saturday              | 8.8%          | 7.6%          | 6.7%          |
+-----------------------+---------------+---------------+---------------+
| **Totals**            | **4,740**     | **89,066**    | **390,000**   |
+-----------------------+---------------+---------------+---------------+

Sources: FARS, MCMIS Crash File, and GES

Truck crashes were concentrated during the five working days of the
week. For 85 percent of trucks involved in fatal crashes the crash took
place during the workweek. In contrast for 67 percent of passenger
vehicles involved in fatal crashes the crash occurred on Monday through
Friday \-- a difference of 18 percentage points. Only 13 percent of the
trucks involved in non-fatal crashes on the MCMIS Crash File and 10
percent on the GES file were involved on the weekend.

**V. The Crash**

Most fatal truck crashes took place in rural areas. The first event and
first harmful event in the majority of fatal and non-fatal truck crashes
is a collision with another vehicle in traffic. While the impact area
for most fatal crashes was the front of the truck, the impact area in
non-fatal crashes was more evenly distributed to all sides of the truck.
Most fatal truck crashes took place on Interstate Highways or other
principal arterial highways, but most fatal crashes also occurred on
undivided highways.

This section will cover crash location in terms of the areas and
jurisdictions that have the highest number of crashes, the events that
happened during the crashes, the point of crash impact on the trucks,
and the class and type of roadways where crashes occur.

[Geographic Location]{.underline}

For two-thirds of the trucks involved in fatal crashes, the crash took
place in rural areas in 1996. In most States, however, the individual
counties with the highest number of fatal crashes are predominantly
urban in character. This is possible because rural counties outnumber
urban counties in a large majority of States. For example, in Texas the
counties with the most fatal crashes are those that include the major
cities of Houston, Dallas, Forth Worth, San Antonio, Austin, and El
Paso. However, most fatal crashes take place in the 200 rural counties
of the State.

[Crash Events]{.underline}

The first harmful and most harmful events are coded in the FARS and GES
databases for each crash. The MCMIS Crash File records the first and up
to three subsequent events (not necessarily harmful) that happened to
the truck or bus involved in the crash. The first and most harmful
events from FARS and GES are, therefore, defined differently from the
first and subsequent events from MCMIS. To decide on first and most
harmful events the reporting officer or FARS analyst must make a
judgment on which crash events were significant and which were not.
Asking the reporting officer to record the first, second, third, and
fourth event that happened to the truck or bus involved in the crash
usually does not require the officer to make a judgment call. The
officer only has to record the events that happened to the truck or bus
in the sequence they happened. Even so, there are strong similarities
between the data results from the two approaches, as recorded in the
following table.

**Table 17**

**Large Trucks Involved in Crashes**

**by First Harmful or First Crash Event**

+---------------------------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| **First Event**                 | *         | **No      |           |
|                                 | *Fatal:** | n-Fatal** |           |
|                                 |           |           |           |
|                                 | **FARS**  |           |           |
+---------------------------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
|                                 |           | **MCMIS** | **GES**   |
+---------------------------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Collision With Vehicle in       | 78.9%     | 59.8%     | 74.3%     |
| Transport                       |           |           |           |
+---------------------------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Ran Off Road                    | \*        | 10.3%     | \*        |
+---------------------------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Collision With Pedestrian       | 6.4%      | 0.4%      | 0.3%      |
+---------------------------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Collision With Fixed Object     | 6.1%      | 3.4%      | 9.3%      |
+---------------------------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Overturn (Rollover)             | 4.1%      | 3.1%      | 2.9%      |
+---------------------------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Collision With Pedalcycle       | 1.2%      | 0.1%      | 0.1%      |
+---------------------------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Collision With Parked Motor     | 0.9%      | 1.7%      | 6.0%      |
| Vehicle                         |           |           |           |
+---------------------------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Collision With Train            | 0.5%      | 0.2%      | 0.0%      |
+---------------------------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Collision With Animal           | 0.3%      | 0.6%      | 1.4%      |
+---------------------------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Collision With Other Object     | 0.7%      | 1.0%      | 0.7%      |
+---------------------------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Jackknife                       | \*        | 2.8%      | 1.1%      |
+---------------------------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Cargo Loss or Shift             | \*        | 1.2%      | \*        |
+---------------------------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Explosion/Fire                  | 0.0%      | 0.4%      | 0.1%      |
+---------------------------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Other                           | 1.0%      | 6.9%      | 3.9%      |
+---------------------------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Missing                         | 0.0%      | 8.1%      | 0.0%      |
+---------------------------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| **Totals**                      | **4,740** | *         | **        |
|                                 |           | *89,066** | 390,000** |
+---------------------------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+

\* \-- These crash events are not coded in FARS or GES

Sources: FARS, MCMIS Crash File, and GES

For almost four-fifths (79 percent) of large trucks involved in fatal
crashes and almost three-fourths (74 percent) of large trucks involved
in non-fatal crashes, the first harmful event is a collision between the
truck and another vehicle, according to the FARS and GES databases
respectively. According to the MCMIS Crash File in 60 percent of the
cases where a truck is involved in a non-fatal crash the first crash
event also is a collision between a truck and another vehicle in
transit.

The main reason that the MCMIS percent for collision with a vehicle in
transport is much lower than the FARS and GES numbers is that the first
event codes in MCMIS include ran off road and cargo load or shift,
neither of which are counted as harmful events in FARS and GES. However,
these events, and jackknife which is also counted as a first harmful
event in FARS, may be the first in a chain that leads to a crash.
Together these three first events account for 14 percent of the cases in
the MCMIS Crash File. Ran off the road alone accounts for ten percent of
the MCMIS cases, second behind collision with a vehicle in transport,
and much more common than the third place event which is collision with
a fixed object (three percent of the trucks involved in non-fatal
crashes). For GES non-fatal crashes collision with a fixed object ranked
second (nine percent) behind collision with a vehicle in transport, and
collision with a parked vehicle was third (six percent).

For trucks involved in fatal crashes the second ranked first harmful
event is collision with pedestrian (six percent), according to FARS.
When a truck collides with a pedestrian, there is fairly good chance the
result will be a fatality or serious injury. In these crashes the
pedestrian killed is usually walking in the road, improperly crossing
the trafficway, or darting into the road. Collision with a fixed object
was the third ranked first harmful event in fatal crashes (also six
percent).

[Type of Crash]{.underline}

The point of impact on vehicles involved in crashes can shed important
light on crashes, and is one area where fatal and non-fatal data differ
dramatically.

**Table 18**

**Large Trucks Involved in Crashes**

**by Initial Impact Area**

  ----------------------------------- ----------------- -----------------
  **Impact Area**                     **Fatal**         **Non-Fatal**

  Front                               61.7%             27.9%

  Rear                                15.8%             16.2%

  Left Side                           9.1%              20.0%

  Right Side                          5.7%              27.3%

  Non Collision                       2.9%              7.4%

  Other/Unknown                       5.0%              1.1%

  **Total**                           **4,740**         **390,000**
  ----------------------------------- ----------------- -----------------

Sources: FARS and GES

Unlike most other tables in this profile where fatal and non-fatal data
are similar, there is a marked contrast between the two columns in Table
18. The front of the truck was the initial impact area for almost
two-thirds (62 percent) of trucks involved in fatal crashes. By contrast
the front of the truck was the initial impact area for only 28 percent
of the trucks involved in non-fatal crashes. Side impact crashes are
much more prevalent in non-fatal truck crashes, accounting for

almost half of all the trucks involved (47 percent). Rear impact crashes
are about the same for fatal and non-fatal crashes, and non-collision
crashes are more common in non-fatal crashes.

For passenger vehicles in fatal crashes the percentage of vehicles where
the front was the initial impact area was an almost identical 64
percent. Thus, in a majority of fatal crashes for both large trucks and
passenger vehicles the crash takes place in the forward vision of the
drivers. In almost 16 percent of fatal truck crashes the initial point
of impact on the truck is the rear. For passenger vehicles the rear end
impact number is only five percent, a difference of 11 percentage
points. Thus, trucks are hit from behind three times more often in fatal
crashes than passenger vehicles.

[Crash Roadways]{.underline}

The FARS database contains information on the types of roadway and
trafficway where fatal crashes occur. The MCMIS Crash File contains data
only on the type of trafficway. The following two tables present data on
these two variables.

**Table 19**

**Large Trucks involved in Fatal Crashes**

**by Roadway Type**

  --------------------------------------- -------------------------------
  **Roadway Type**                        **Large Trucks**

  Interstate Highway                      24.5%

  Other Principal Arterial                37.0%

  Minor Arterial                          17.6%

  Collector                               12.7%

  Local Road/Street                       6.2%

  Unknown/Missing                         2.1%

  **Totals**                              **4,740**
  --------------------------------------- -------------------------------

Source: FARS

According to [Highway Statistics 1995]{.underline} 40 percent of all
truck miles are driven on Interstate highways. By contrast, the crashes
of only 25 percent of trucks involved in fatal crashes occurred on
interstate highways in 1996. Interstate highways are the safest roadways
in the nation, both for trucks and for other vehicles. Other principal
arterial highways accounted for almost four of ten (37 percent) trucks
in fatal crashes. Many of these highways are not divided and there is no
control over access to the trafficway, both conditions that are less
safe than interstate roadways.

**Table 20**

**Large Trucks Involved in Crashes**

**by Type of Trafficway**

+-------------------------------+------------+------------+------------+
| **Trafficway**                | **Fatal:** | **N        |            |
|                               |            | on-Fatal** |            |
|                               | **FARS**   |            |            |
+-------------------------------+------------+------------+------------+
|                               |            | **MCMIS**  | **GES**    |
+-------------------------------+------------+------------+------------+
| Not Physically Divided        | 56.5%      | 39.6%      | 45.6%      |
+-------------------------------+------------+------------+------------+
| Divided Highway-**without**   | 31.8%      | 24.1%      | 33.7%      |
| barrier                       |            |            |            |
+-------------------------------+------------+------------+------------+
| Divided Highway-**with**      | 10.4%      | 17.5%      |            |
| barrier                       |            |            |            |
+-------------------------------+------------+------------+------------+
| One-Way Trafficway            | 0.6%       | 4.3%       | 4.1%       |
+-------------------------------+------------+------------+------------+
| Missing/Unknown               | 0.7%       | 14.5%      | 16.7%      |
+-------------------------------+------------+------------+------------+
| **Totals**                    | **4,740**  | **89,066** | *          |
|                               |            |            | *390,000** |
+-------------------------------+------------+------------+------------+

Sources: FARS, MCMIS Crash File, and GES

For over half of all trucks involved in fatal crashes (57 percent) the
crash takes place on an undivided highway. Since the point of impact on
sixty percent of trucks involved in fatal crashes was the front (Table
18 above), it makes sense that most of the fatal crashes involving
trucks took place on undivided highways where head-on collisions can
occur without barriers or median strips between opposing lanes.

Thus, even though close to half of truck traffic takes place on
interstate highways which are all divided highways, and many of the
principal arterial highways on which trucks operate are also divided,
most fatal crashes still occur on undivided roadways. By contrast the
MCMIS Crash File data shows that the crashes of 40 percent of all trucks
involved in non-fatal crashes had crashes on highways that were not
physically divided. The GES figure for undivided highways was 46 percent
of trucks involved in non-fatal crashes.

**VI. Motor Carriers**

The only national crash database that identifies truck and bus motor
carriers is the MCMIS Crash File. As of August 22, 1997 the MCMIS
database contained information on 101,102 trucks and buses involved in
crashes that occurred in 1996 as reported by the States. The file also
contains over 90,000 vehicles involved in crashes for 1995, over 80,000
for 1994, and fewer for 1993 and 1992. Nearly all vehicles are
identified by the operating motor carrier at the time of the crash.
Seventy-one percent of the vehicles involved in crashes in 1996 were
operated by interstate carriers. The MCMIS Crash File database can
generate crash data on both interstate **and** intrastate carriers.

Crash data plays a vital role in measuring motor carrier safety. The OMC
is building a new data-based motor carrier ranking system, SafeStat, to
guide carrier and vehicle selection for compliance reviews and roadside
inspections. All interstate motor carriers will receive a SafeStat
score. Forty percent of the score will be based on crashes in the MCMIS
Crash File. OMC field staff will conduct safety compliance reviews on
the motor carriers with the highest SafeStat scores.

To guide roadside vehicle and driver inspections an Inspection Selection
System (ISS) has been developed. The ISS is now being revised so that it
will match the SafeStat scores which, as noted above, rely heavily on
MCMIS Crash File data. The only difference is the addition of a factor
for any carrier that has not had a roadside inspection in a long time.
When trucks and buses pull into roadside inspection stations, State
personnel will be able to enter the carrier identification number into a
computer and receive an ISS score for the carrier. The vehicles and
drivers of those carriers with high ISS scores, indicating a bad safety
record, will be selected more often for a roadside safety inspection
than those vehicles of carriers with low scores.

**VII. MCMIS Crash File Progress**

As noted in the Introduction, the OMC received crash reports on an
estimated 58 percent of the trucks and buses that were involved in
crashes in 1996 that met the NGA criteria for a reportable crash. One
way to estimate how well States are doing in reporting crashes to the
OMC is to compare the FARS numbers for large trucks involved in fatal
crashes with the MCMIS Crash File numbers of trucks involved in fatal
crashes. The FARS is considered a reliable data source for all fatal
crashes, including fatal truck crashes. If the number of trucks involved
in fatal crashes in the MCMIS Crash File is close to the FARS number for
a State, that State is at least reporting to the OMC almost all fatal
crashes.

The FARS and MCMIS numbers need not match exactly. The two databases use
slightly different definitions for a truck. For FARS a vehicle is a
large truck if it has a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 10,000
pounds. For the MCMIS Crash File a truck must be designed, used, or
maintained primarily for carrying property, and have at least two axles
and six tires. Even with this difference in definitions, the FARS and
the MCMIS Crash File numbers should be very close.

The following table provides a State-by-State comparison of the MCMIS
Crash File numbers for trucks involved in fatal crashes with FARS
numbers for large trucks involved in fatal crashes. The table includes
the 50 States and the District of Columbia, but excludes the five United
States territories \-- Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, the
Northern Marianas, and American Somoa.

**Table 21**

**Large Trucks in 1996 Fatal Crashes by State: FARS vs. MCMIS Totals**

  ---------------- ---------- ----------- ---------------- ----------- -----------
  **State**        **FARS**   **MCMIS**   **State**        **FARS**    **MCMIS**

  Alabama          140        135         Montana          19          18

  Alaska           7          3           Nebraska         48          52

  Arizona          79         28          Nevada           40          14

  Arkansas         98         63          New Hampshire    12          6

  California       366        169         New Jersey       81          70

  Colorado         55         45          New Mexico       53          23

  Connecticut      32         33          New York         150         97

  Delaware         16         17          North Carolina   166         112

  District of      4          4           North Dakota     10          11
  Columbia                                                             

  Florida          279        142         Ohio             206         5

  Georgia          213        193         Oklahoma         89          62

  Hawaii           11         17          Oregon           58          70

  Idaho            37         38          Pennsylvania     184         182

  Illinois         147        66          Rhode Island     6           1

  Indiana          160        79          South Carolina   98          112

  Iowa             85         64          South Dakota     18          15

  Kansas           62         63          Tennessee        165         120

  Kentucky         92         87          Texas            411         408

  Louisiana        77         60          Utah             32          41

  Maine            13         7           Vermont          9           6

  Maryland         66         30          Virginia         117         76

  Massachusetts    34         7           Washington       69          40

  Michigan         159        122         West Virginia    58          26

  Minnesota        65         36          Wisconsin        94          102

  Mississippi      89         12          Wyoming          11          9

  Missouri         150        203         **Totals**       **4,740**   **3,431**
  ---------------- ---------- ----------- ---------------- ----------- -----------

Sources: FARS and MCMIS Crash File

While the OMC received reports of about 61 percent of all trucks
involved in NGA reportable crashes, States reported about 72 percent of
trucks involved in fatal crashes, according to a FARS-MCMIS comparison.
Only 12 States reported MCMIS Crash File fatal numbers that were within
ten percent of FARS numbers. These included some very big States, such
as Pennsylvania and Texas, and some very small States, such as Delaware
and Montana. A few States, such as Missouri and South Carolina, reported
much higher MCMIS numbers than FARS. Most States, however, reported much
lower MCMIS numbers than FARS. In fact 12 States (Alaska, Arizona,
California, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nevada, New
Mexico, Ohio, Rhode Island, and West Virginia) reported numbers less
than 50 percent of the FARS totals for their States.

**Concluding Comments**

For the OMC the most important questions involving motor carrier crashes
are what are the crash problems, why crashes happen, and how OMC
programs and State programs and activities relate to ameliorating the
conditions that lead to crashes. Unless OMC knows why crashes happen the
agency can only guess when we design programs to prevent them. None of
the current truck and bus databases provide in-depth data on the causes
or reasons for truck and bus crashes. There is much data in the several
databases that is suggestive of crash causes. The OMC Analysis Division
relies on OMC field staff and our State partners to suggest ways to
break down and analyze the data so it will be most useful for analysis
and enforcement efforts in the field. The tables and comments presented
here are examples of the ways the Analysis Division can examine the
existing data.