Heavy Trucks Safer than Medium Duty Trucks?

[Marie]

American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) reported an analysis between the two vehicle types, where the medium-duty trucks generally performing worse than heavy-duty trucks. The study suggests that combining medium- and heavy-duty truck crash statistics drags down the true safety record of the US heavy truck fleet.

The study focused on a 10-year range of separate crashes for medium-duty and heavy-duty trucks, identifying notable crash trends for each vehicle population. In which case a noticeable difference in safety trends was spotted.

“In order to continue to make progress in truck crash rates, we must improve our ability to target safety strategies across all segments of the industry,” said Keith Klein, COO of Transport America. “This research will enhance our industry’s ability to customize safety solutions.”

“This research also points out that blending medium-duty crash statistics with heavy-duty crash statistics may unfairly drag down the safety gains made by heavy-duty truck fleets,” added American Trucking Associations president and CEO Bill Graves. “When it comes to truck safety, clearly one-size solutions do not fit all scenarios.”

Full report at: www.atri-online.org


Why do you guys think this would happen? Is it because the medium duty trucks easily speed up in the highway? Or that heavy-duty trucks take a lot of precautions since they are carrying a huge responsibility?

[marksoldtowne]

hi marie
when buy a truck ,best truck is that which is durable & efficient.A truck in top quality works efficiently, is reliable, has good work output and offers a good warranty.medium duty trucks engine will provide fairly fast acceleration.As long as routine maintenance is provided it will give better performance.it will also obtain better mileage.

[Marie]

hi marie
when buy a truck ,best truck is that which is durable & efficient.A truck in top quality works efficiently, is reliable, has good work output and offers a good warranty.medium duty trucks engine will provide fairly fast acceleration.As long as routine maintenance is provided it will give better performance.it will also obtain better mileage.

thanks for the info, marksoldtowne.

[jacobh15]

The difference is mainly in frame strength, suspension capacity, and braking capacity for given load rating of chassis. You can make a big dog bark like a Chihuahua, but you can't make a Chihuahua bark like a big dog. In other words, you can use a larger chassis in place of a smaller chassis, but never make a smaller chassis do the job of it's larger cousin because that's a whole bag of problems you don't want. Use the proper chassis for the job you have intended for it. Never force a smaller light weight chassis do something it was not intended for because it won't steer right, won't brake right, and actually may just break in half from too much weight. Hope that answers that question.

[Hapon A-z]

The difference is mainly in frame strength, suspension capacity, and braking capacity for given load rating of chassis. You can make a big dog bark like a Chihuahua, but you can't make a Chihuahua bark like a big dog. In other words, you can use a larger chassis in place of a smaller chassis, but never make a smaller chassis do the job of it's larger cousin because that's a whole bag of problems you don't want. Use the proper chassis for the job you have intended for it. Never force a smaller light weight chassis do something it was not intended for because it won't steer right, won't brake right, and actually may just break in half from too much weight. Hope that answers that question.

Very straight to the point. Thanks jacobh15. And I like your description: "You can make a big dog bark like a Chihuahua, but you can't make a Chihuahua bark like a big dog."

[marksoldtowne]

ya, Keith Klein is absolutely right that research will enhance our industry’s ability to customize safety solutions as well.when we follow as routine maintenance of our truck it will give better performance and mileage.it will also obtain better output and gain safety in any circumstances as well.

[blancawilliams]

I think heavy trucks.

[curecksi]

A bigger, heavier vehicle provides better crash protection than a smaller, lighter one, assuming no other differences. The longer distance from the front of vehicle to the occupant compartment in larger vehicles offers better protection in frontal crashes. Heavier vehicles also tend to continue moving forward in crashes with lighter vehicles and other obstacles, so the people inside them are subject to less force.