Truck Crash Reference

Rear-end truck collisions

Last updated . Sources checked

Contents
  1. Stopping room is part of the sequence
  2. Braking equipment and maintenance
  3. Impact direction is not a complete finding
  4. Related entries
  5. References
Rear-end truck collisions
Safety focusStopping space and visibility[1]
ABS requirementsVehicle-specific provisions in 49 CFR 393.55[2]

A rear-end truck collision involves the front of one vehicle striking the rear of another. Either the truck or a smaller vehicle may be the striking vehicle. FMCSA cautions passenger drivers that large vehicles need extra stopping space and that cutting closely in front of a truck can remove that space.[1]

See: Underride crashes

Stopping room is part of the sequence

FMCSA advises drivers to avoid cutting in front of a truck and to give large vehicles additional room. It also warns against following a truck too closely because the driver may not see a vehicle directly behind it and the following driver has less view of traffic ahead. These safety principles explain why following distance and the timing of a lane change can both matter.[1]

Braking equipment and maintenance

Section 393.55 establishes ABS requirements for specified commercial vehicles, with manufacture-date distinctions. ABS is not a substitute for adequate stopping space. The combination-vehicle manual explains that the system helps prevent wheel lockup but does not necessarily reduce stopping distance. Maintenance obligations under Part 396 are a separate inquiry from whether a vehicle was originally required to have ABS.[2][3][4]

Impact direction is not a complete finding

The agency warnings concern different paths to a rear-end collision: inadequate space ahead of a truck and a following vehicle remaining too close behind it. Identifying which vehicle struck the other is only the beginning of that analysis. A reconstruction should distinguish the observed contact from the events leading to it, including lane changes and the opportunity to slow. Rear underride raises additional equipment questions.[1][5]

References

  1. abcd Tips for Passenger Vehicle Drivers. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/ourroads/tips-driving-safely-around-large-trucks-or-buses. official. Checked . Source record
  2. ab 49 CFR 393.55: Antilock brake systems. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, Office of the Federal Register and GPO. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-393.55. official. Checked . Source record
  3. ^ Oregon Commercial Driver Manual: Combination Vehicles. Oregon Department of Transportation. https://www.oregon.gov/odot/DMV/Pages/Online_CDL_Manual_2/Section_6.aspx. official. Checked . Source record
  4. ^ 49 CFR 396.3: Inspection, repair and maintenance. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, Office of the Federal Register and GPO. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-396.3. official. Checked . Source record
  5. ^ 49 CFR 393.86: Rear impact guards and rear end protection. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, Office of the Federal Register and GPO. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-393.86. official. Checked . Source record