An analysis of fatal log truck crashes in the United States from 2011 through 2015

ABSTRACT

Analyses of data obtained from the United States (US) federally maintained Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) crash database indicated that fatal log truck crashes increased across the US. The reported occurrences of log trucks involved in a fatal crash increased by 41% between 2011 and 2015. Analyses of 383 crashes involving log trucks were performed nationally and regionally. Most log truck crashes (84%) involved tractor-trailer configurations. We also compared fatal crashes using only tractor-trailer vehicle configurations for log trucks versus other tractor-trailer cargo body types. Logging tractor-trailers represent 326 (3.4%) of the 9597 tractor-trailers involved in a fatal crash over the same period. Both logging tractor-trailer and other tractor-trailer crashes increased during the 5-year period. Other large truck crashes increased 19% while log truck tractor-trailer crashes increased by more than 33%. Log trucks were the oldest vehicles involved in fatal crashes, with an average age of 13.0 years, which was significantly higher (p < 0.0001) than the overall average for all trucks of 7.6 years. During a fatal crash, log trucks experienced a rollover 21% of the time, which is significantly higher (p < 0.0001) than the overall average of 12% rollovers for other large trucks. Results suggest that programs focused on log truck driver training may want to emphasize the increased risk of rollovers, defensive driving and awareness of other vehicles, as well as awareness of maintenance needs associated with older vehicles.

KEYWORDS:

• Forest operations
• forestry transportation
• logging safety

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation and the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture McIntire-Stennis Program. An earlier and summarized version of this article was presented at the Council on Forest Engineering (COFE) annual meeting in Williamsburg, VA in July 2018.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.