Table 6-1 Fatalities by Freight Transportation Mode: 1990, 2000, and 2010-2013
| 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total transportation fatalities | 47,297 | 44,276 | 35,034 | 34,568 | 35,699 | 34,509 |
| Total highway fatalities | 44,599 | 41,945 | 32,999 | 32,479 | 33,782 | 32,719 |
| Total freight transportation fatalities | 6,461 | 6,079 | 4,286 | 4,340 | 4,462 | 4,507 |
| Freight as a share of total fatalities | 13.7% | 13.7% | 12.2% | 12.6% | 12.5% | 13.1% |
| Highway1 | 5,272 | 5,282 | 3,686 | 3,781 | 3,944 | 3,964 |
| Large truck occupants | 705 | 754 | 530 | 640 | 697 | 691 |
| Others killed in crashes involving large trucks | 4,567 | 4,528 | 3,156 | 3,141 | 3,247 | 3,273 |
| Railroad | 1,095 | 717 | 519 | 497 | 478 | 509 |
| Train accidents | 10 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 6 |
| Highway-rail grade crossing2 | 624 | 353 | 187 | 189 | 169 | 156 |
| Trespassers | 426 | 328 | 309 | 280 | 286 | 322 |
| Other incidents | 35 | 28 | 19 | 22 | 14 | 25 |
| Waterborne3 | 85 | 42 | 62 | 50 | 30 | 25 |
| Freight | NA | NA | 22 | 18 | 14 | 8 |
| Industrial/Other | NA | NA | 40 | 32 | 16 | 17 |
| Pipeline | 9 | 38 | 19 | 12 | 10 | 9 |
| Hazardous liquid pipeline | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Gas pipeline | 6 | 37 | 18 | 11 | 7 | 8 |
KEY: NA = not available.
1 Large trucks have a gross vehicle weight rating at or above 10,000 pounds and include single-unit and combination trucks.
2 Highway-rail grade crossing fatalities include freight train collisions with vehicles and people at all public and private highway-rail grade crossings.
3 Freight includes barges, bulk carriers, general dry cargo ships, refrigerated cargo ships, roll-on/roll-off ships, tank ships, and towing ships. Industrial/Other includes fishing vessels, miscellaneous vessels, and offshore. Waterborne fatalities include only closed cases where vessels were involved in a marine casualty as of April 6, 2015. Open cases by year not included above: 2010 = 36, 2011 = 120, 2012 = 644, and 2013 = 727. Data prior to 2002 were tabulated using a different reporting system and are not directly comparable with later years.
NOTE: There are differences in definitions and reporting periods across modes due to regulatory and legal requirements.
SOURCES: Total: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, National Transportation Statistics, Table 2-1, available at http://rita.dot.gov/bts as of October 2015.Highway: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, National Center for Statistics and Analysis, Traffic Safety Facts, Large Trucks and Highlights (annual issues). 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 July 2015. Waterborne: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Coast Guard, Data Administration Division, Marine Casualty and Pollution Data for Researchers (April 6, 2015), available at homeport.uscg.gov as of July 2015. Pipeline: U.S. Department of Transportation, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Office of Pipeline Safety, Accident and Incident Summary Statistics by Year, available at http://phmsa.dot.gov/pipeline as of July 2015.