Study of car/truck crashes in the United States. Final report

This report provides descriptive information about truck-car accidents in the United States using primarily data from the Fatal Accident Reporting System (FARS). In 1980 14 percent of all fatal accidents (37 percent) of fatal multi-vehicle accidents) involved at least one car and one truck. Over half of these involved pickups and vans, while about one-seventh involved combination vehicles. Trucks, especially combination vehicles, are overinvolved in fatal accidents relative to FHWA estimates of miles traveled by different vehicle types. Truck-car involvement rates increased substantially from 1977 to 1979 but declined in 1980 (mainly for combination vehicles). Other descriptive data are presented on fatality ratios in truck-car fatal crashes by type of truck and weight of car; on type of road; on road alignment; on road wetness; on light condition; on age of driver; on seat belt use; on vehicle rollover; on vehicle fire; on causative factors; on manner of collision; and on time of day and time of week.