Open AccessHow reliable is the bureau of motor carrier safety truck accident data?
Author(s) -
Alassar Louai A.,
Waters Robert C.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
journal of advanced transportation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.577
H-Index - 46
eISSN - 2042-3195
pISSN - 0197-6729
DOI - 10.1002/atr.5670220207
Subject(s) - motor carrier , truck , reliability (semiconductor) , transport engineering , accident (philosophy) , business , engineering , automotive engineering , power (physics) , philosophy , physics , epistemology , quantum mechanics
This paper examines the degree of compliance with the accident reporting requirements imposed by the Bureau of Motor Carrier Safety (BMCS) of the U.S. Department of Transportation on motor carriers involved in interstate and foreign transport. It also examines the reliability and validity of the accident information reported by these carriers to the BMCS. The study shows that there is a high degree of accident underreporting, especially by the private and exempt carriers, and that the information reported on variables such as cargo weight, gross vehicle weights, and usage of seat belts at the time of accident, is biased toward the interests of the reporters of the accidents.