TRUCKS INVOLVED IN FATAL ACCIDENTS, 1980-86

This report provides one-way frequencies for all the variables in the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute's (UMTRI's) file of Trucks Involved in Fatal Accidents, 1980-1986. This file combines the coverage of the Fatal Accident Reporting System (FARS) data with the detail of the Office of Motor Carriers (OMC) data. Where no OMC report could be found for a medium or heavy truck listed by FARS, UMTRI conducted a survey, by telephone interview or by mail, to obtain company type information and a detailed physical description of the truck and cargo involved. Overall, a total of 5,056 medium and heavy trucks were involved in fatal accidents in 1980, 5,244 in 1981, 4,719 in 1982, 4,944 in 1983, 5,311 in 1984, 5,394 in 1985, and 5,244 in 1986. The 35,912 vehicles found to be medium and heavy trucks were divided into 9,609 straight trucks and 25,733 tractors. The power unit type of 570 vehicles could not be determined. There were 894 straight trucks pulling trailers, and 24,617 tractors pulling at least one trailer.