This study was undertaken to investigate causes of fuel tanker accidents and their relationship to drivers, roadway, and tanker characteristics. 730 fuel tanker drivers were randomly selected, and they voluntarily completed the designed questionnaire of Zerqa Refinery site, Jordan. Data on causes and locations of tanker accidents, drivers' characteristics, and tanker related issues were examined. The analyses indicated that 88, 40, and 7 percent of tanker accidents were caused by human errors, geometric deficiency and highway defects, and tanker defects, respectively. The driver characteristics such as nationality, age, and health conditions had a significant influence on tanker accidents. Most of tanker accidents occurred on horizontal and vertical curves. Also, regular tanker maintenance and repair had a significant influence on tanker accident occurrences. Compared with other vehicles, fuel tankers are overinvolved in road accidents. Restrictions on age and health condition of tanker drivers, improvement of tanker route alignment, and regular tanker maintenance and repair would be successful accident mitigation measures. (Author/publisher).
Abstract