Injury severity analysis and driver actions in passenger vehicle-truck collisions

Abstract

Reducing truck-involved crashes is a key goal of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Large trucks (gross vehicle weight > 10,000 pounds) account for only 6% to 7% of the total vehicle miles traveled (VMT) but are involved in 11% to 12% of the fatal crashes. An important aspect of truck-involved collision is that they can be very disruptive and costly. Behavioral factors are important contributors to collisions. This study mainly focuses on analyzing the difference between a passenger vehicle and large truck regarding unsafe pre-crash driving actions. Using one-year (2013) 3924 crashes obtained from the Virginia Department of Transportation, this study investigates how drivers' actions of trucks and passenger vehicles are associated with injury severity, respectively. The highest injury severity of a crash is used as dependent variable. The results reveal that occupants of passenger vehicles are much more likely to sustain severer injuries than those of trucks. Although the direct effects of some pre-crash actions on injury severity are not as significant as collision types, pre-crash actions can affect collision types, and therefore increase the probability of severe injuries indirectly. Overall, if a passenger vehicle driver is speeding, failing to maintain proper control, or ignoring officers, signals, or signs, occupants would have a higher probability of being involved in a severe injury. For truck drivers, wrong place, and no-right-of-way increases injury chance as well. These findings will help us to take individual measures to address dangerous pre-crash actions for both truckers and passenger vehicle drivers.