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Local / Short Haul Driver Fatigue Crash Data Analysis

This small analytical study, performed by UMTRI, developed several definitions of local/short haul (LSH) versus over-the-road trucks and examined the prevalence of driver fatigue as a principal factor in truck crashes. Data sources included the 1992 Truck Inventory and Use Survey and 1991-93 Trucks Involved in Fatal Accidents files.

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LSH trucks in these crash data files were defined based on vehicle size (i.e., Class 3-6 single-unit straight trucks) and/or by operational nature (i.e., trip length). Not surprisingly, trip distance was found to have the most pronounced effect on the percentage of fatal crashes that were fatigue-related; shorter trips are associated with a much lower incidence.

The risk of LSH truck involvement in fatigue-related fatal crashes is a fraction of that of over-the-road trucks. The project final report, Short-Haul Trucks and Driver Fatigue , (FHWA-MC-98-016, NTIS PB98-127129) is available from FHWA or NTIS. The FMCSA PM for a current, larger human factors study of LSH driver fatigue (which has included both focus groups and instrumented vehicle studies).

Above data as reported from: United States Department of Transportation - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration