Crash cost analysis

The average cost of all police-reported crashes of large trucks was $75,637, according to an FMCSA study. Included were medical expenses, emergency services, property damage, lost productivity, the financial cost of pain and suffering, and quality of life losses incurred by a family because of death or injury.

“Costs of Large Truck and Bus Involved Crashes,” produced by the Pacific Institute for Research Evaluation, also showed that the average cost of a crash where tractors had two or more trailers was $117,309. When fatalities were involved, the average cost jumped to $3.54 million. Other findings:

• The costs per crash with non-fatal injuries averaged $217,005 for large trucks.

• Crash costs per 1,000 truck miles are $259 for single-unit trucks and $138 for single combinations.