A Synthesis of Safety Implications of Oversize/overweight Commercial VehiclesThe objective of this report is to identify known relationships between commercial vehicle safety and crash causation factors and to prepare a synthesis of safety implications of oversize/overweight (OS/OW) commercial vehicles. This information can be used to support commercial vehicle enforcement and permitting practices and justify expenditures and investments on size and weight enforcement to enhance safety. In producing this report, insight was gained into the impacts of truck size and weight (TSW) regulations through three case studies. The state of practice in estimating large truck crash rates is complicated because of the many configurations and the wide range of possible weights for any particular configuration. This report highlights four primary findings regarding the contributions of OS/OW to commercial vehicle crashes found by its researchers. |
Contents
Executive Summary | 1 |
Section 1 Introduction | 5 |
Section 2 The ConcernHeavy Commercial Vehicle Growth | 7 |
Section 3 Heavy Vehicle Types Weights and Sizes | 13 |
Section 4 Truck Characteristics Affecting Crashes | 19 |
Section 5 Heavy Truck Crashes in General | 29 |
Section 6 Data Associated with OSOW Heavy Vehicles | 45 |
Section 7 Illustrative Case Studies | 65 |
Section 8 Summary Findings and Recommendations | 73 |
Bibliography | 85 |
Glossary of Terms Related to Heavy Trucks | 95 |
Acronyms | 99 |
Common terms and phrases
AASHTO Alberta American Association B-train braking distance coal trucks Collision Rates combination vehicles crash causation crash data crash severity data sets Department of Transportation factors fatal crash rates Federal Highway Administration FHWA FMSCA freight heavier heavy commercial vehicles heavy truck crashes Heavy Vehicles Highway and Transportation identified IMPLICATIONS OF OVERSIZE/OVERWEIGHT increased infrastructure investigating Jarossi KTC researchers large truck crashes load lower crash rates Minnesota Motor Vehicle NHTSA OS/OW trucks OS/OW vehicles OVERSIZE/OVERWEIGHT COMMERCIAL VEHICLES overweight percent regulations relationship roadway Rocky Mountain double rollover SAFETY IMPLICATIONS Section Special Report 225 speed SYNTHESIS OF SAFETY Table Tractor semi-trailer traffic Transportation Officials Transportation Research TRB Special Report trend triples truck accidents truck braking truck configurations truck drivers Truck Involvement truck safety truck weight Turnpike double U.S. Department UMTRI University of Kentucky UTCA Vehicle Type vehicle weight virtual WIM weigh stations weight limits wheel Woodrooffe