Large trucks account for about 3.5 percent of all vehicles and for approximately 7 percent of all motor vehicle travel, while accounting for about 12 percent of all traffic fatalities. However, large truck travel has more than doubled during the 1975 - 1995 time period- while the number of all large truck-related fatalities has not changed appreciably. When occupant fatalities in crashes between large trucks and other vehicles are examined, another pattern appears to emerge, i.e., large truck occupant fatalities have declined during the 1975 - 1995 period, while fatalities of occupants of the other vehicle have remained at the 3,000 - 4,000 per year level. This study examines data on driver licenses, vehicle registrations, vehicle miles travelled, all crashes, fatal crashes and fatalities involving large trucks and other vehicles for the period 1975 - 1995. The involvement of various driver age groups in large truck crashes is examined more closely for the last three Years, i.e., 1993 - 1995. Younger drivers appear to be under-represented in large truck crashes. The risk of fatality to passenger vehicle drivers involved in large truck crashes was also found to be greater for younger drivers than for older drivers. (A)
Abstract