Do large trucks have high crash rates?
Large trucks are involved in more fatal crashes per unit of travel than passenger vehicles — compared with 1.8 crashes per 100 million miles traveled in 2002. The disparities between large trucks and passenger vehicles vary by specific vehicle type, with passenger cars having the lowest fatal involvement rate and tractor-trailers having the highest rate. The higher fatal involvement rate for large trucks occurs although a much higher proportion of their miles is traveled on interstate highways, which are the safest roads. Their higher fatal involvement rate is attributable to the size disparity between large trucks and passenger vehicles. Tractor-trailers have a lower rate of nonfatal crashes resulting in injuries or property damage only, compared with passenger cars.
