Characteristics of Rollover or Jackknife Accidents of Articulated Trucks (A Case Study for Driver Education and Vehicle Safety improvements)

The aim of this study is to investigate the general characteristics of articulated truck accidents by statistical analysis and the causes of “rollover”, “jackknife” and “trailer swing” by case study.

The major results are (1) “ran-off-road”, “rollover” and “collision to fixed objects” are rare cases but risky in fatality rate. (2) the incidence and fatality rate are higher than that of single heavy trucks. (3) a multiple steered axles system and an anti-lock braking systems are effective for “rollover” and “jackknife” and (4) the training of skid control are needed for the drivers.