The first issues of federal vehicle safety standards, stemming from the Highway Safety Acts of 1966, were directed primarily toward passenger cars. Vehicle safety standards for trucks are now receiving the strong attention of the new National Highway Safety Bureau which initiates the standards.
Many of the worthwhile safety countermeasures now being treated by standards have been identified through the process of prior accident research.
In view of the emerging emphasis on truck safety the author has reviewed accident research and data collection in the United States in order to summarize the present state of knowledge of accident causation and injury causation related to trucking.
Commentary is provided on the potential utility of the existing data as well as the urgent need for new accident research to provide knowledge for guiding the specification of future safety countermeasures.
Action suggestions are made for improving the trucking industry’s safety program and the concept of a special form of highway (Super Freightway), designed to optimize trucking safety and efficiency, is also suggested as a worthy topic for serious study.