Fatalities Increase Among Pedestrians, Bicyclists in Crashes Involving Large Trucks
Fatalities among pedestrians and bicyclists in large-truck crashes increased at a faster rate than overall truck-related crash fatalities from 2009 to 2013, a federal study shows.
In 2013, the year with the most recent crash data available, 338 pedestrians and 78 bicyclists were killed in crashes involving large trucks, 30% and 39% increases over 2009, respectively, according to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration large truck-focused research.
About 75% of the pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities involved trucks that weighed more than 26,000 pounds, said Jenny Guarino, a statistician with FMCSA’s Office of Analysis, Research and Technology.
In 2009, there were 259 truck-involved pedestrian deaths and 56 among people on bicycles.
FMCSA“It’s important to note that during the same time period, we saw total fatalities in large-truck crashes only increasing by roughly 17%,” Guarino said.
By comparison, overall pedestrian crash fatalities on U.S. highways increased just over 15% to 4,735 from 4,109 during the same timeframe, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. For bicyclists, fatalities increased by more than 16% to 743 in 2013 from 628 in 2009.
FMCSA presented its research Nov. 18 as part of a Department of Transportation initiative to enlist the support of the nation’s mayors in improving safety for pedestrians and bicyclists, an effort that includes grant funding.
“The DOT is challenging those at the local level to address walking and biking issues,” said Ed Gilman, FMCSA’s director of external affairs.
Most of those truck-involved fatalities occurred in urban areas, the study found.
While the new research did not attribute the reasons for the crashes, it noted that 21% of pedestrians who died in incidents with large trucks in 2013 tested positive for having alcohol in their system compared with 1% of the drivers involved in the crashes.
By comparison, only 14% of bicyclists who died in crashes with large trucks tested positive for having alcohol in their system while none of the drivers in those crashes tested positive for alcohol.
