Large Truck Crash Profile: the 1997 National Picture

NHTSA · 1998 · ROSA P / United States. Federal Highway Administration

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Summary

This report, published by the Federal Highway Administration in 1998, provides a comprehensive statistical profile of large truck crashes in the United States for the year 1997. The study aims to characterize the scope, severity, and contributing factors of crashes involving large trucks (defined as vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating over 10,000 pounds) to identify problem areas for potential countermeasures. The analysis relies on three primary data sources: the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) for fatal crashes, the General Estimates System (GES) for national estimates of injury and property-damage crashes, and the Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS) Crash File for detailed non-fatal crash data. The report finds that in 1997, 4,871 large trucks were involved in fatal crashes, an estimated 97,000 in injury crashes, and 342,000 in property-damage-only crashes. Large trucks accounted for 9% of vehicles in fatal crashes but only 2% in injury crashes. While the fatal crash involvement rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled was slightly higher for large trucks than for passenger vehicles, the injury crash rate for passenger vehicles was more than three times higher than that for large trucks. The majority of crash-involved trucks were tractors pulling single semi-trailers, with van/enclosed box bodies being the most common cargo type. Less than 5% of crash-involved trucks were transporting hazardous materials, and releases of such materials were rare. Comparative analysis of two-vehicle fatal crashes between large trucks and passenger vehicles reveals significant differences in driver demographics and behaviors. Truck drivers were predominantly aged 26–45, whereas passenger vehicle drivers were more likely to be under 26 or over 65. Only 0.8% of truck drivers had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.10 or greater, compared to 15.1% of passenger vehicle drivers. Additionally, 75% of truck drivers used seat belts in these fatal crashes, compared to 47% of passenger vehicle drivers. Driver-related crash factors were coded for only 28% of truck drivers but 80% of passenger vehicle drivers. Most crashes occurred in good weather, on dry roads, during the day, and on weekdays. The report concludes that while the data cannot determine causation or fault, it suggests that passenger vehicle driver behavior, particularly regarding age, alcohol use, and restraint use, plays a significant role in the severity of crashes involving large trucks.

Key finding

Passenger vehicle drivers involved in fatal crashes with large trucks were significantly more likely to be under 26 or over 65 years old, have invalid licenses, and exhibit blood alcohol concentrations of 0.10 or greater compared to the truck drivers involved in the same crashes.

Methodology

dataset

Provenance

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Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

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• bus coach
• incidence prevalence
• comparative international
• demographic disparities
• fatality injury trends

Information type

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• Empirical Findings: crash risk outcomes