FMCSA: Fatal Heavy-Truck Crashes Average $3.6 Million-Plus
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has published a final report entitled "Unit Costs of Medium/Heavy Truck Crashes," completed by the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE) that provides latest estimates of unit costs for highway crashes involving medium- and heavy-duty trucks.
Based on the latest data available, the estimated cost of a police-reported crash involving a truck with a gross weight rating of more than 10,000 pounds averaged $91,112 (in 2005 dollars). Crashes in which truck-tractors with two or three trailers were involved were the rarest, but their cost was the highest--$289,549 per crash. The cost per nonfatal injury crash averaged $195,258, and fatal crashes cost more than any other crashes at $3,604,518 per crash.
Safety analysts use such crash cost data for a variety of purposes, from analyzing effectiveness of a particular roadway enhancement to measuring impact of seatbelt use. Crash costs also are used to calculate and compare cost-effectiveness of proposed safety regulations.
A copy of the complete study can be viewed on the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) website under the MCS Discipline section at www.aamva.org.