Collision Investigation

Commercial Motor Vehicle Collision Investigation

I use fundamental investigative techniques needed to successfully conduct large truck collision investigations. These types of accidents are unique situations and technical matters that apply to large truck collisions that investigators must recognize in order to conduct accurate and complete investigations. Much of this knowledge is unknown, even by those who conduct automobile collision investigations every day. I have developed this reconstruction method to successfully conduct large truck collisions either in the field at the scene or after the collision has occurred. The goal is to assist collision investigators in successfully moving from the area of automobile investigative techniques into the new area of conducting large truck collision investigation. This ensures that you as the client are being represented by an expert in a field where very few exist.

Investigation Includes:
Understanding Federal and Provincial Regulations

Hours of Service and Log Books

Pre-Trip Inspections

Fundamentals of Braking

Air Line Systems

Brake Components

Brake Force Application

Truck Inspection

Final Report to Company or Barristers

Heavy Trucks Collisions 1994 - 1998

This document reviews the number of collisions, vehicles involved, and casualties (fatalities and injuries) resulting from heavy truck collisions for each of straight trucks (greater than 4,536 kg) and tractor-trailers. The report also presents tables and charts showing the distribution of fatalities and injuries by type of heavy truck, and road user class, collisions by accident configuration, and discusses external factors relating to the collisions. While the causes of collisions cannot be determined from the Transport Canada database, Traffic Accident Information Database (TRAID), this report discusses some of the contributing factors.

Summary Findings

Over the five-year period:

An average of 43,843 collisions¹ involving heavy trucks occurred each year – averages of 24,450 and 20,006 for straight trucks and tractor-trailers, respectively. Straight trucks averaged 168 fatal, 4,467 personal injury, and 19,815 property damage only collisions, while collisions involving tractor-trailers averaged 296 fatal, 3,827 personal injury, and 15,883 property damage crashes per year.
The number of heavy trucks averaged 46,239 or 4 percent of all vehicles involved in all collisions. Straight trucks accounted for 55 percent of the heavy trucks involved, while tractor-trailers accounted for the remainder, 45 percent.
Heavy trucks in fatal collisions represented an average of 11 percent of all vehicles in fatal collisions per year. Straight trucks accounted for an average of 174 per year or 4 percent, and tractor-trailers accounted for an average of 318 per year or 7 percent of all vehicles involved in fatal collisions.
Of all vehicles in personal injury collisions, heavy trucks accounted for an average of 8,651 vehicles or 3 percent per year. Straight trucks amounted to an average of 4,617 per year or 1.6 percent, while tractor-trailers represented an average of 4,034 per year or 1.4 percent of all vehicles involved in personal injury collisions.
Approximately 75 percent of all collisions are property damage only collisions each year. In these collisions, heavy trucks represented an average of 37,096 vehicles or 4.3 percent per year of all vehicles in property damage only crashes. Straight trucks accounted for an average of 20,491 vehicles per year or 2.4 percent, while tractor-trailers amounted to an average of 16,605 per year or 1.9 percent of all vehicles involved in property damage only collisions.
All vehicles involved in collisions with heavy trucks represented averages of 21.7 percent of all vehicles in fatal collisions, 5.8 percent and 7.6 percent of all vehicles in personal injury and property damage collisions, respectively.
The number of fatalities in collisions involving heavy trucks averaged 554, comprised of 65 (11.8 percent) heavy truck occupants, 444 (80.1 percent) occupants of other vehicles, and 45 (8.2 percent) pedestrians. Fatalities in heavy truck collisions averaged 17.6 percent of all road user fatalities and averaged 1.215 fatalities per collision involving a heavy truck, compared to 1.135 fatalities per collision not involving heavy trucks.
An average of 11,848 persons suffered non-fatal injuries in collisions involving heavy trucks, representing 5.1 percent of all road users injured. On average, these victims of heavy truck collisions consisted of 2,960 (25 percent) heavy truck occupants, 8,573 (72.4 percent) occupants of other vehicles, and 315 pedestrians (2.7 percent).
Drivers of automobiles, light trucks and vans were recorded as having a driver condition "other than apparently normal" 4.25 times more frequently than the drivers of heavy trucks in fatal collisions.
In fatal crashes, drivers of automobiles, light trucks and vans were recorded as having a driver action "other than driving properly" 2.74 times more frequently than the drivers of heavy trucks.