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Fires originating in large trucks can be significant in terms of both the potential for personal injury or death and the potential for substantial economic loss of the vehicle and its cargo. This analysis examines the large trucks involved in fire incidents and the causes of the fires by examining the National Automotive Sampling System (NASS/GES), the Large Truck Crash Causation Study (LTCCS), and the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). In this report we compare the rate of post-collision fire observed in these databases, analyze the reasons for differences in and describe the circumstances of large truck fires as reported in the LTCCS.

Three years of data from the Large Truck Crash Causation Study (LTCCS) were analyzed to identify accidents involving heavy trucks (GVWR >10,000 lbs.). Risk of rollover and ejection was determined as well as belt usage rates. Risk of ejection was also analyzed based on rollover status and belt use. The Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) was used as an injury rating system for the involved vehicle occupants. These data were further analyzed to determine injury distribution based on factors such as crash type, ejection, and restraint system use. The maximum AIS score (MAIS) was analyzed and each body region (head, face, spine, thorax, abdomen, upper extremity, and lower extremity) was considered for an AIS score of three or greater (AIS 3+). The majority of heavy truck occupants in this study were belted (71%), only 2.5% of occupants were completely or partially ejected, and 28% experienced a rollover event.