Abstract
ABSTRACT Increasing timber transportation safety is essential to the timber harvesting and forest products industries. Log truck weight limits in the US South are lower than in other US regions. North Carolina and Virginia increased their gross vehicle weight limits for log trucks from 38,102 kg to 40,823 kg in 2012 and 2015, respectively. Log truck crash reports were collected from state authorities in North Carolina and Virginia for crashes occurring between 2009 and 2019. Log truck crash rates, contributing factors, crash locations, and vehicle condition were analyzed to identify opportunities to improve safety and evaluate the relationship between log truck crashes and changes in weight limits. Between 2009 and 2019, log truck crashes per million tonnes of timber harvested increased by 134% and 29% in North Carolina and Virginia, respectively. Crash rates were rising before the increases in weight limits and continued to rise afterward. Exceeding safe speed, improper turn, and failure to yield the right-of-way were common contributors to crashes in both states. Timber transportation safety may be improved through driver education, better fleet maintenance, and increased use of crash reduction technologies.
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