CHARACTERISTICS OF ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS IN HIGHWAY TRANSPORTATION OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS

Existing accident and incident data bases provide insight into the nature of the safety risks involved in hazardous materials transportation by highway. This paper presents analyses of data from the U.S. Department of Transportation Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA) Hazardous Materials Incident Reporting System, the FHWA Motor Carrier Accident Reports, and the Missouri Statewide Accident Reporting System. These analyses document the types of accidents and incidents that occur when transporting hazardous materials by truck on public highways. This paper focuses on the predominant role of traffic accidents as a cause of severe hazardous materials incidents. Existing traffic accident data are used to determine the probability of a hazardous materials release, given an accident involving a hazardous materials-carrying vehicle. The types of accidents in which this probability is higher or lower than average are identified. The purpose of this paper is to present analyses of use to highway agencies in managing hazardous materials transportation on their road networks. Thus, incidents associated with loading and unloading operations that are included in the RSPA data base have been excluded from these analyses.