Table 5-4. Hazardous Materials Transportation Incidents

Because most hazardous materials are transported by truck, most incidents related to hazardous materials transportation are on the highways. In 2005, 85 percent of all incidents were highway-related. Moreover, 71 percent of fatalities in hazardous materials transportation occurred in highway transportation during 2005.

A very small share of hazardous material transportation incidents are the result of a vehicular crash or derailment (referred to as “accident-related”). In 2005, only 2 percent of incidents were accident-related. Most incidents occur because of human error or package failure, particularly during loading and unloading. While only 2 percent of incidents were accident-related in 2005, they accounted for nearly 80 percent of all property damage.

Table in Excel format | Historical data

	1980	1990	2000	2004	2005
Total	15,719	8,879	17,557	(R) 14,879	14,624
Accident-related	486	297	(R) 394	(R) 329	315
Air	223	297	1,419	995	1,505
Air - Accident-related	0	0	(R) 3	0	7
Highway	14,161	7,296	15,063	(R) 13,097	12,359
Highway - Accident-related	347	249	(R) 329	(R) 282	263
Rail	1,271	1,279	1,058	(R) 771	693
Rail - Accident-related	134	48	62	(R) 47	45
Water1	34	7	17	(R) 16	67
Water1 - Accident-related	2	0	0	0	0
Other2	30	0	0	0	0
Other2 - Accident-related	3	0	0	0	0

Key: R = revised.

¹Water category only includes packaged (nonbulk) marine. Non-packaged (bulk) marine hazardous materials incidents are reported to the U.S. Coast Guard and are not included.
²Other category includes freight forwarders and modes not otherwise specified.

Notes: Hazardous materials transportation incidents required to be reported are defined in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), 49 CFR 171.15, 171.16 (Form F 5800.1). Hazardous materials deaths and injuries are caused by the hazardous material in commerce. Accident related means vehicular accident or derailment. Each modal total also includes fatalities caused by human error, package failure, and causes not elsewhere classified.

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Office of Hazardous Materials Safety, Hazardous Materials Information System Database, available at http://hazmat.dot.gov as of May 24, 2006.