Heavy Truck Occupant Protection > Magnitude of Problem

There are approximately 8.4 million heavy trucks driving on US roadways each year [1].  A heavy truck is considered any vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) in excess of 10,000 pounds (4,536 kilograms).  In 2006, these vehicles were involved in 368,000 crashes, resulting in 4,321 fatalities [2].  The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) are all actively involved in research to improve the safety of the commercial truck fleet and thereby the safety of the nations’ highways. 

[1] FHWA, Highway Statistics 2005, Table VM-1 and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Motor Carrier management Information System (MCMIS)

[2] National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and General estimates System (GES)