Table 5-3. Accidents by Freight Transportation Mode: 1980-2006
The number of crashes and other accidents in freight transportation has declined in all modes over the last quarter century in spite of the increase in freight activity.
Table in Excel format | Historical data
 |
1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2006 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highway (passenger and freight) | NA | 6,471,000 | 6,394,000 | 6,159,000 | NA |
| Large truck1 | NA | (R) 371,801 | (R) 437,861 | 442,000 | NA |
| Large truck1 (percent of total) | NA | (R) 5.7 | (R) 6.8 | 7.2 | NA |
| Rail (passenger and freight) | |||||
| Highway-rail grade crossing2,3 | (R) 10,612 | 5,715 | 3,502 | (R) 3,053 | 2,920 |
| Railroad2,4 | 8,205 | 2,879 | 2,983 | (R) 3,242 | 2,876 |
| Waterborne (passenger and freight) | |||||
| Vessel-related | 4,624 | 3,613 | (R) 13,546 | (R) 4,977 | 5,400 |
| Pipeline | |||||
| Hazardous liquid pipeline | 246 | 180 | 146 | (R) 137 | 108 |
| Gas pipeline | 1,524 | 198 | 234 | (R) 352 | 274 |
Key: NA = not available; R = revised.
1Large trucks are defined as trucks over 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight rating, including single-unit trucks and truck tractors.
2Includes Amtrak.
3Includes both accidents and incidents. Most highway-rail grade crossing accidents are also counted under highway.
4Train accidents only.
Sources:
Highway: National Center for Transportation Analysis, National Highway Transit Safety Administration, Traffic Safety Facts, Large Trucks (Annual Issues). 2006: National Center for Transportation Analysis, National Highway Transit Safety Administration, Traffic Safety Facts (July 2007).
Highway-Rail Grade Crossings: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad Administration, Office of Safety Analysis, http://safetydata.fra.dot.gov/officeofsafety/default.asp as of August 17, 2007.
Waterborne: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Coast Guard, Data Administration Division, personal communication, August 17, 2007.
Pipeline: U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, National Transportation Statistics 2007, available at http://www.bts.gov/ as of August 2, 2007.
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