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Freight Facts and Figures 2009

Table 5-1. Fatalities by Freight Transportation Mode: 1980-2008

While the amount of freight transportation activity has increased in recent decades, the number of fatalities has declined or remained stable in each mode.  The vast majority of fatalities involve passenger travel on highways.

Table in Excel format | Historical data

Blank cell. 1980 1990 2000 2007 2008
Total transportation fatalities (passenger and freight) NA 47,350 44,384 (R) 43,032 NA
Highway (passenger and freight) 51,091 44,599 41,945 (R) 41,259 37,261
Large truck occupants1 1,262 705 754 (R) 805 677
Others killed in crashes involving large trucks 4,709 4,567 4,528 (R) 4,017 3,552
Large truck occupants1 (percent) 2.5 1.6 1.8 2.0 1.8
Others killed in crashes involving large trucks (percent) 9.2 10.2 10.8 (R) 9.7 9.5
Railroad (passenger and freight) 1,417 1,297 937 (R) 849 800
Highway-rail crossing2 833 698 425 (R) 336 287
Railroad2,3 584 599 512 513 513
Waterborne (passenger and freight) 487 186 111 (R) 107 109
Vessel-related4 206 85 42 (R) 61 56
Freight ship 8 0 0 3 0
Tank ship 4 5 0 1 0
Tug/towboat 14 13 1 (R) 6 5
Offshore supply NA 2 0 1 0
Fishing vessel 60 47 26 19 25
Mobile offshore drilling units NA 0 0 1 4
Platform NA 1 0 0 0
Freight barge NA 0 0 3 1
Tank barge NA 0 0 (R) 1 0
Miscellaneous5 56 11 15 (R) 26 21
Not vessel-related4 281 101 69 (R) 46 53
Pipeline 19 9 38 (R) 15 9
Hazardous liquid pipeline 4 3 1 4 2
Gas pipeline 15 6 37 (R) 11 7

Key: NA = not available; R = revised.

1Large trucks are defined as trucks over the 10,000 pound gross vehicle weight rating, including single-unit trucks and truck tractors.

2Includes Amtrak.

3Includes train accidents and other incidents. Most fatalities involve trespassers who are included under other incidents (457 in 2008).

4Vessel-related casualties include those involving damage to vessels such as collisions or groundings. Fatalities not related to vessel casualties include deaths from falling overboard or from accidents involving onboard equipment.

5Includes industrial vessel, passenger (inspected), passenger (uninspected), recreational, research vessel, unclassified, and unknown data.

Note:

Caution must be exercised in comparing fatalities across modes because significantly different definitions are used.

Sources:

Total and Pipeline: U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, National Transportation Statistics 2008, available at www.bts.gov as of August 13, 2009.

Highway: National Center for Transportation Analysis, National Highway Transit Safety Administration, Traffic Safety Facts, Large Trucks (annual issues). 2007-2008: National Center for Transportation Analysis, National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, Traffic Safety Facts (June 2009).

Highway-Rail Grade Crossings: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad Administration, Office of Safety Analysis, available at safetydata.fra.dot.gov/officeofsafety/default.asp as of August 13, 2009.

Waterborne: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Coast Guard, Data Administration Division, personal communication, August 1, 2009.

 

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