Traffic Violations May Predict Future Accidents

According to a 2011 study released by the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), there is a high degree of correlation between the number and type of traffic convictions commercial truck drivers have and their risk of being involved in a future crash. The study identified a dozen specific behaviors and convictions that increase the risk of being involved in a truck crash.

From 2007 to 2009, ATRI examined 582,772 US truck drivers. It was found that drivers convicted for failure to use a signal or improper use of a signal were 96 percent more likely to be involved in a future crash. While this violation had the most significant correlation, it was also found that drivers with improper passing violations and those who had crashed previously were 88 percent more likely than other drivers to be involved in a future crash.

The following table shows the top 10 convictions that increase a driver’s likelihood of being in a crash.

A 2005 ATRI report identified truck driver behaviors that were most predictive of future crashes at that time. The results of the 2005 and 2011 reports suggest that driver interventions, industry innovations and training focused on problem behaviors have the ability to reduce the correlations with future crashes if properly applied.

Read next month’s issue of The Quill for information from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts. Statistics detailing the circumstances of large truck crashes, and those that result in fatalities, injuries and property damage will be presented.

{ back }