Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts 2011 - FMCSA-RRA-13-049 Analysis Division, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration October 2013

The tables in this chapter present crash statistics for large trucks and buses over time. Fatal crash statistics generally are available from 1975, the first year of FARS data, through 2011. In some cases, such as for roadway function class or alcohol involvement, data are available only from 1981 or 1982 through 2011. Nonfatal crash statistics are available from 1991 through 2011. The statistics shown in this chapter represent crashes, vehicles, drivers, fatalities, and injuries in crashes. Below is a summary of some of the trend information in this section:

• In 2011, 3,608 large trucks were involved in fatal crashes, a 3-percent increase from 2010. However, from 2008 through 2011 the number of large trucks involved in fatal crashes declined by 12 percent. The number of passenger vehicles involved in fatal crashes declined by 13 percent over the same period.
• Over the past 10 years (2001 through 2011):
  • The number of large trucks involved in fatal crashes decreased from 4,823 to 3,608, a drop of 25 percent.
  • The number of large trucks involved in injury crashes decreased from 90,000 to 63,000, a drop of 30 percent.
  • The number of large trucks involved in property damage only crashes decreased from 335,000 to 221,000, a drop of 34 percent.
• Over the past 3 years (2008 through 2011):
• The number of large trucks involved in fatal crashes declined by 12 percent, from 4,089 to 3,608, and the vehicle involvement rate for large trucks in fatal crashes (vehicles involved in fatal crashes per 100 million miles traveled by large trucks) increased by 2 percent.
• The number of large trucks involved in injury crashes decreased by 5 percent, from 66,000 to 63,000, and the vehicle involvement rate for large trucks in injury crashes increased by 10 percent.
• The number of large trucks involved in property damage only crashes decreased by 28 percent, from 309,000 to 221,000, and the vehicle involvement rate for large trucks in property damage only crashes declined by 17 percent.
• From 2001 through 2011, the number of buses involved in fatal crashes declined from 292 to 244, a drop of 16 percent. From 2008 to 2011, the number of buses involved in fatal crashes declined from 251 to 244, a drop of 3 percent, and the vehicle involvement rate for buses in fatal crashes increased by 5 percent.
• From 2001 through 2011, on average, intercity buses accounted for 13 percent of all buses involved in fatal crashes, and school buses and transit buses accounted for 40 percent and 34 percent, respectively, of all buses involved in fatal crashes.
• Alcohol was detected in the blood of 2.5 percent of large truck drivers in fatal crashes in 2011, compared with 27.3 percent of passenger vehicle drivers. For 1.2 percent of large truck drivers in fatal crashes in 2011, the blood alcohol concentration was 0.08 grams per deciliter or more, compared with 23.7 percent of passenger vehicle drivers.
• Large truck and bus fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled by all motor vehicles increased by 2 percent, from 0.133 in 2010 to 0.136 in 2011.

Note: Data Revisions

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) implemented an enhanced methodology for estimating registered vehicles and vehicle miles traveled by vehicle type beginning with data from 2007. As a result, involvement rates may differ, and in some cases significantly, from earlier years