TruckAccidentLawyer.wikiTruck Crash Reference

Trailer configuration

From TruckAccidentLawyer.wiki, a sourced reference on large-truck crashes

Trailer configuration truck accident data describe how trucks were configured in the fatal crashes recorded by NHTSA FARS. The national figures here select large-truck vehicle records with V_CONFIG codes 6 and 7, shown as Truck Tractor/Semi-Trailer and Truck Tractor/Double. In 2024, those categories contained 2,708 trucks and 92 trucks, respectively. These are vehicle counts within a fatal-only dataset, not counts of crashes or people killed. The geographic scope is the United States, covering 50 states and the District of Columbia, and the 2024 figures come from the FARS Annual Report File.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]

Contents

Official definition

The official definition in the FARS Analytical User's Manual describes V24, Vehicle Configuration, as the element recording a vehicle's general configuration where applicable. That definition is broader than the operational selection used for the figures on this page. The configuration categories for 2021 and later include Truck Pulling Trailer(s), Truck Tractor (Bobtail), Truck Tractor/Semi-Trailer, Truck Tractor/Double and Truck Tractor/Triple. A separate element, V19 Vehicle Trailing, records attached trailing units or towing of another motor vehicle. Configuration and trailing information therefore describe related aspects of the vehicle rather than interchangeable measures.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]

National figures

The national illustrative figures show 2,585 trucks coded Truck Tractor/Semi-Trailer and 123 trucks coded Truck Tractor/Double in 2020. For 2021, the corresponding vehicle counts were 3,112 trucks and 126 trucks; for 2022, they were 3,122 trucks and 117 trucks. The 2023 figures were 2,901 trucks and 107 trucks. Among the supplied annual rows, the largest semi-trailer vehicle count appears in 2022, while the largest double vehicle count appears in 2021. These comparisons concern selected large trucks in fatal crashes across the stated United States geography, not the frequency of all truck crashes.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]

National figures[1][2][3][4][5]
YearLarge trucks coded Truck Tractor/Semi-TrailerLarge trucks coded Truck Tractor/Double
20202,585123
20213,112126
20223,122117
20232,901107
20242,70892

United States, 50 states and the District of Columbia. Large trucks (vehicle counts) by V_CONFIG codes 6 and 7; other codes are not shown. 2024 is the FARS Annual Report File.

What the term does not tell you

The selected configuration columns omit other codes and do not represent every large truck involved in a fatal crash. A vehicle count remains distinct from the number of deaths in its crash. Configuration identifies the vehicle's setup; it does not establish whether a trailer or driver contributed to the crash. No population rate or exposure denominator is supplied, so these counts cannot establish comparative risk between configurations. The national figures illustrate the selected categories within FARS fatal-only coverage, rather than extending the official definition into a claim about crash causes.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]

On related publications

References

  1. abcde "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2020 national data files (Final File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
  2. abcde "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2021 national data files (Final File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
  3. abcde "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2022 national data files (Final File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
  4. abcde "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2023 national data files (Final File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
  5. abcde "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024 national data files (Annual Report File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
  6. abcd "Fatality Analysis Reporting System Analytical User's Manual, 1975-2024 (DOT HS 813 794)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
  7. abcd "Large trucks: 2024 data (DOT HS 813 816, June 2026)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
  8. abcd "Overview of motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2024 (DOT HS 813 791, April 2026)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record