Embedded Dataset Excel:

Dataset Excel:

Notes:

Data are provided only for transit systems that furnished safety data for inclusion in the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration Transit Safety and Security Statistics and Analysis annual reports.  Data covers only directly operated urban transit systems. Vehicle-miles for all transit systems including nonurban and purchased can be found in the Vehicle-miles table in chapter 1.

For years 2015-2021, commuter rail data are from [source]. Data for all other modes are from transit systems under Federal Transit Administration safety jurisdiction that provide detailed event reports to the National Transit Database.

Prior to the 2000 edition, Transit Safety and Security Statistics and Analysis Report was entitled Safety Management Information Statistics (SAMIS) annual report.

Analysts for the FTA believe the change in reporting requirements in 2002 may have resulted in unreliable data in that year, particularly for Injuries and Accidents. The reliability of reporting is believed to be much better in 2003 and is expected to improve in the future.

Details may not add to totals due to rounding.

There were definition changes made in 2008 to simplify the injury thresholds for filing an incident report.  Previously, the injury threshold for filing an incident report was two or more injuries requiring immediate medical transportation away from the scene, or one or more injuries requiring immediate medical transportation away from the scene in the case of incidents at grade crossings or along rail right-of-ways. FTA simplified this threshold to being simply one or more injuries requiring immediate medical transportation away from the scene.

Description:

KEY: N = data do not exist; P = preliminary; R = revised; U = data are not available.

^a Accident statistics for cable car, inclined plane, jitney, and ferry boat were not available prior to 2015. The number of Incidents, Fatalities, and Injuries for these modes appear in the footnotes for table 2-34.

^b Accidents include transit vehicle collisions with motor vehicles, objects, and people (excluding suicides), as well as derailments / vehicles going off the road. Accident figures do not include fires, security events, or not otherwise classified safety events.

^c Motor bus also includes trolley bus. From 2015, it also includes commuter bus and bus rapid transit.

^d From 2015, Light rail includes streetcar and hybrid rail.

^e From 2015, Automated guideway includes monorail/automated guideway and monorail.

^f From 2015, Other modes includes cable car, inclined plane, jitney, ferry boat, and all other modes reporting to the National Transit Database not otherwise listed.

^g The drop in the number of Injuries and Accidents beginning from 2002 is due largely to a change in definitions by the Federal Transit Administration, particularly the definition of Injuries. The Injury threshold for filing an event report changed to be two or more Injuries requiring immediate medical transportation away from the scene, or one or more Injuries requiring immediate medical transportation away from the scene in the case of events at grade crossings or along rail right-of-ways in 2002. Previously, any Injury was reportable. Additionally, the property damage threshold for reporting an Accident was changed from $1,000 to $7,500 in 2002. This change in coverage caused a large drop in the number of accidents reported from 2002 onward. (note: Other reporting thresholds may have changed over the years).

^h The increase in the number of Accidents beginning in 2015 is also due largely to a change in definitions by the Federal Transit Administration. In 2015, all collisions involving disabling damage to an involved vehicle, all rail collisions at grade crossings, and all collisions between rail vehicles and people qualified as reportable. This change in coverage caused an increase in the number of Accidents reported from 2015 onward.

ⁱ Prior to 2015, Rates are based on total incidents including Accidents and were calculated by dividing the number of Fatalities, Injuries, and Accidents in this table by the number of Vehicle-miles. From 2015, Rates were calculated by dividing the number of Fatalities, Injuries, and Accidents in this table by the number of Vehicle-miles.

Source:

1990-2014: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration, Transit Safety and Security Statistics, available at http://transit-safety.volpe.dot.gov/Data/Samis.asp as of Sept. 15, 2009, and personal communications, Oct. 8, 2004, Apr. 22, 2005, Apr. 24, 2006,  June 14, 2007, June 18, 2008, Sept. 1, 2010, April 5, 2012, July 8, 2013, and January 8, 2015.

2015-22: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration (using data reported to the National Transit Database), personal communications, Jan. 17, 2024.