Truck Safety

Of the more than 42,00 people who died on the nation's highways in 1997--the latest year for which data are available--about 5,400 died in crashes involving large trucks. This figure represents a 21-percent increase from 1992, reversing a trend of decreasing truck fatalities since the late 1980s. This recent increase in fatalities reflects, in part, a 25-percent increase in the annual number of miles traveled by large trucks since 1992. Although trucks are involved in fewer crashes per mile traveled than are passenger vehicles, crashes involving trucks are more likely to result in fatalities. In 1997, 98 percent of the deaths from wrecks involving a truck and a passenger vehicle were occupants of the passenger vehicles. Although no reliable nationwide data exist on the causes of crashes involving large trucks, some data indicate that passenger vehicle drivers' behavior is a significant contributing factor to crashes. The Office of Motor Carrier and Highway Safety plans to design and fund a study to obtain more detailed information on factors that may contribute to crashes involving large trucks. The Office has planned or undertaken several efforts to improve truck safety. These steps include identifying high-risk carriers that should be reviewed for compliance with safety regulations, educating passenger vehicle drivers about how to share the road with large trucks, and developing technology to alert truck drivers of the onset of drowsiness. However, the Office's effectiveness is limited by (1) long-standing data problems, (2) the length of time it takes to complete activities, and (3) the unknown effect of its campaign to educate passenger vehicle drivers about the limitations of large trucks.

GAO noted that: (1) of the more than 42,000 people who died on the nation's highways in 1997, about 5,400 died in crashes involving large trucks; (2) this figure represents a 20-percent increase from 1992, reversing a trend of decreasing truck fatalities from 1988 through 1992; (3) in addition, from 1992 through 1997, the fatality rate--the number of fatalities per 100 million miles travelled by large trucks--has remained fairly constant at about 2.9 deaths per 100 million miles travelled after decreasing by 27 percent between 1988 and 1992; (4) the recent increases in fatalities reflect, in part, a 25-percent increase in the annual number of miles travelled by large trucks since 1992; (5) if this trend of increasing truck travel continues, the number of fatalities could increase to more than 5,800 in 1999; (6) while trucks are involved in fewer crashes per mile travelled than passenger vehicles, crashes involving trucks are more likely to result in fatalities; (7) while no reliable nationwide data exist on the causes of crashes involving large trucks, some data exist on the extent to which factors such as drivers' behavior, vehicles' mechanical condition, the roadway, and the environment may contribute to these crashes; (8) to better tailor its activities to address the factors that are most likely to contribute to truck crashes, OMCHS plans to design and fund a study to obtain more detailed information on such factors; (9) because the factors that contribute to crashes do not vary significantly from year to year, the results of the study are estimated to be relevant for about 15 years; (10) OMCHS has undertaken a number of activities and plans to undertake others to improve truck safety; (11) these actions include identifying high-risk carriers that should receive reviews of their compliance with safety regulations, educating passenger vehicle drivers about how to share the road with large trucks, and developing technology to alert truck drivers of the onset of drowsiness; and (12) while these activities address what are considered to be significant contributing factors to truck crashes, OMCHS' effectiveness is limited by: (a) long-standing data problems; (b) the length of time it takes to complete activities; and (c) the unknown effect of its campaign to educate passenger vehicle drivers about the limitations of large trucks.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

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