Heavy Truck Occupant Protection

This focus area, initially recommended by FHWA’s Office of Safety Research &  Development and by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), has goals consistent with those of the SAFETEA-LU legislation and supports activities to improve the safety of the commercial vehicle fleet. 

In this research, the number and type of injuries suffered by occupants of heavy trucks involved in crashes (including fatal crashes), is first characterized by examining the available truck data in two federal crash databases.  The focus is on understanding actual mechanisms of injury leading to the observed injury outcomes.  Guided by the understanding obtained from actual crash data, the project will then model the truck cab and the occupant motion during a crash to assess ways to reduce the expected injury.  In particular, the actual physical impact and excess acceleration on specific body areas will be examined (via the modeling) to quantify the injury potential of a given injury mechanism.  Metrics to rank the severity of injuries may include, for example, the use of Head Injury Criteria (HIC) ratings for head injuries and the loading on limbs and torso for fractures and breaks.

The ultimate goal of this research is to identify vehicle-based changes which could reduce the injuries to truck occupants involved in heavy truck crashes.

Research Tasks

Task 1. Review Previous Research
Task 2. Utilize Crash Data to Identify Injury Mechanisms, Rank Injuries & Prioritize Needed Safety Improvements
Task 3. Conduct Modeling & Testing; & Develop Guidelines for Performance Requirements
Task 4. Review Results and Solicit Feedback from Government and Industry
Task 5. Develop Recommendations and Produce Final Report

Delivered Reports

Task 1.  Interim Report: Review of Previous Research and Research Plan for Task 2, December 22, 2008
Task 2.  Interim Report: Utilize Crash Data to Prioritize Potential Safety Improvements, January 8, 2010