Car drivers play role in most fatal truck crashes: report

Arlington, VA – The majority of fatal and serious injury crashes involving a truck also involve at least one passenger car, according to a report (.pdf file) released Feb. 12 by the American Trucking Associations.

Researchers analyzed truck crash research from the past two decades and concluded that car drivers’ errors were the cause of about three-quarters of fatal car-truck crashes. As the crash severity level decreased, motorists and truck drivers were equally as likely to commit a driving error resulting in a crash, the report states. Driver errors – such as driving too fast for conditions or following too closely – are the primary contributing factors reported for the majority of crashes.

In response to the report, ATA President and CEO Bill Graves issued a statement calling for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to reconsider how it classifies driver fault in commercial motor vehicle carrier crash records.