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This paper provides an overview of the current state of knowledge on medium and heavy truck safety and reviews the results of truck safety research sponsored by the Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association. A number of issues have been raised about the accident experience of trucks, and the injuries and fatalities sustained by occupants. The diverse viewpoints and perceptions which exist on the reasons for these accidents and what countermeasures should be taken are reviewed. The evolutionary nature of truck accident research is presented, pointing out that sufficient detailed accident and injury data are lacking. Corresponding information on truck configuration, size, weight and exposure data remain inadequate. The role of the vehicle, driver, and highway environment in accident causation must be known and methods to achieve this goal are examined. Despite these limitations, there is progress in understanding the causes of truck accidents.

This paper provides an overview of the substantial reduction since 1980 in frequency of medium/ heavy truck accidents, injuries, and fatalities. It also reviews concurrent progress achieved by truck manufacturers, the trucking industry in general, and the U.S. Department of Transportation in cooperatively addressing key truck transportation issues. Single vehicle truck crashes continue to be the largest contributor to truck occupant fatalities; fewer than 13% of all fatal truck crash involvements account for two-thirds of the total number of in-cab fatalities. The majority of fatally injured truck occupants involve ejection and/or rollover. Increasing use of seat belts is the single largest contributor to the declining number of truck occupant fatalities. The occupant fatality rate for medium/heavy trucks improved 60% from 1980 to 1991.