Truck drivers were more likely than all drivers in casualty collisions to be fatigued or asleep at the time of the crash.

Statistically speaking, commercial vehicles make their trips without incident 99 % of the time. However, like all motorists, commercial vehicle drivers do get involved in collisions. Here are some statistics on commercial vehicle collisions and their causes.

• From 2002 to 2006, there were 3,157 large trucks involved in casualty collisions in Alberta.
• During that same period, 35 truck drivers were killed in collisions in Alberta. Thirteen of these 35 drivers (37%) were killed in single vehicle, rollover collisions.
• Truckers are much less likely to have consumed alcohol and be involved in crashes involving casualties.
• Fatigue can play a roll in large vehicle collisions. Truck drivers were more likely than all drivers in casualty collisions to be fatigued or asleep at the time of the crash. Almost half (43%) of the truckers who were fatigued and involved in a casualty collision crashed between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.
• Between 2002 and 2006, approximately 60% of casualty collisions involving a large truck occurred on dry roads and 26% happened on snow, slush or ice.
• The majority of fatal collisions involving a big rig occurred on highways numbered 1 - 216.
• The occupants of a passenger vehicle are more likely to be seriously injured or killed in a crash with a big rig because of the physical differences in weight, stopping distance, and rollover potential.
• Big rigs take longer to stop than passenger vehicles. The reasons for the increased braking time are due to a number of factors but include: size and weight of vehicles, condition of brakes, temperature of brakes, etc.

Updated November 2007