Freight Facts and Figures 2012
Table 5-2. Injuries by Freight Transportation Mode: 1990, 2000, and 2009-2011
The highway mode accounted for nearly all injuries in freight transportation, but the number of injuries has dropped substantially since 2000.
Table in Excel format | Historical data
 |
1990 | 2000 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highway (passenger and freight) | 3,230,666 | 3,188,750 | 2,217,000 | 1,542,000 | U |
| Large truck occupants1 | 41,822 | 30,832 | 17,000 | 20,000 | U |
| Others injured in crashes involving large trucks | 108,000 | 109,000 | 56,000 | 60,000 | U |
| Large truck occupants1 (percent) | 1.3 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 1.3 | U |
| Others injured in crashes involving large trucks (percent) | 3.3 | 3.4 | 2.5 | 3.9 | U |
| Railroad (passenger and freight) | 25,143 | 11,643 | 7,968 | (R) 8,337 | 8,228 |
| Highway-rail grade crossing2 | 2,407 | 1,219 | 741 | (R) 875 | 1,002 |
| Railroad2,3 | 22,736 | 10,434 | 7,227 | (R) 7,462 | 7,226 |
| Waterborne (passenger and freight) | NA | 665 | 722 | 509 | 912 |
| Vessel-related4 | 175 | 151 | 186 | 135 | 247 |
| Freight ship | 10 | 5 | 8 | 17 | 24 |
| Tank ship | 13 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 10 |
| Tug/towboat | 19 | 18 | 39 | 0 | 27 |
| Offshore supply | 9 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Fishing vessel | 31 | 21 | 35 | 15 | 46 |
| Mobile offshore drilling units | 13 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 6 |
| Platform | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Freight barge | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Tank barge | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Miscellaneous5 | 12 | 96 | 98 | 90 | 129 |
| Not related to vessel casualties4 | NA | 514 | 536 | 374 | 665 |
| Pipeline | 76 | 81 | (R) 62 | (R) 104 | 55 |
| Hazardous liquid pipeline | 7 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| Gas pipeline | 69 | 77 | (R) 58 | 99 | 53 |
Key: NA = not available; R = revised; U = unavailable at date of publication
1Large trucks are defined as trucks over the 10,000 pound gross vehicle weight rating, including single-unit trucks and truck tractors.
2Includes Amtrak.
3Includes train accidents and other incidents. Most injuries involve workers on duty and are included under other incidents (4,199 in 2011).
4Vessel-related injuries include those involving damage to vessels, such as collisions or groundings. Injuries not related to vessel casualties include those from falls overboard or from accidents involving onboard equipment.
5Includes industrial vessel, oil recovery, passenger (inspected), passenger (uninspected), recreational, research vessel, unclassified, and unknown data.
Sources:
Total: U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, National Transportation Statistics, available at www.bts.gov as of October 1, 2012.
Highway: 1990 and 2000: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, National Center for Statistics and Analysis, Traffic Safety Facts, Large Trucks (annual issues); 2009-2011: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, National Center for Statistics and Analysis, Traffic Safety Facts - Highlights (March 2012).
Railroad: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad Administration, Office of Safety Analysis, available at http://safetydata.fra.dot.gov/officeofsafety/default.asp as of October 1, 2012.
Waterborne: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Coast Guard, Data Administration Division, personal communication, September 15, 2012.
Pipeline: U.S. Department of Transportation, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Pipeline Safety Program, Pipeline Library, available at http://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/comm/PipelineLibrary.htm as of October 1, 2012.
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