A passenger vehicle is a motor vehicle weighing less than 10,000 pounds and includes passenger cars and light trucks (pickup trucks, vans, SUVs, and other light trucks). Passenger vehicles make up over 90 percent of registered vehicles, and account for nearly 90 percent of total vehicle miles traveled (VMT). In 2011 there were an estimated 9,291,000 vehicles involved in police-reported crashes, 96 percent (8,953,000) of which were passenger vehicles. There were 43,917 vehicles involved in fatal crashes, of which 78 percent (34,182) were passenger vehicles. More than 21,000 passenger vehicle occupants lost their lives in traffic crashes in 2011, and an estimated 1.97 million were injured. From 2002 to 2011, passenger vehicle registrations increased 12 percent. Light trucks (LTVs) experienced a 27-percent increase in registrations, while passenger cars had an increase of 3 percent (see Figure 1). Among the light-truck categories, pickup truck registrations increased 14 percent and van registrations decreased 6 percent; however, SUV registrations increased by 72 percent. (Author/publisher)
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