NTSB: Single-unit trucks should fall under other large truck safety rules

Washington – Single-unit trucks should be included in many of the same safety rules as other types of large trucks, according to a report from the National Transportation Safety Board.

Single-unit trucks – large trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 10,000 pounds and all axles attached to a single frame – comprise 3 percent of all registered motor vehicles and 4 percent of motor vehicle miles traveled. However, they cause 9 percent of fatalities among passenger vehicle occupants in multi-vehicle crashes because of differences in structure and bumper height, according to NTSB.

NTSB recommended the following large truck safety rules apply to single-unit trucks:

• Improved rear and side under-ride protection systems
• Enhanced visibility of the truck for other roadway users
• Technologies to compensate for large truck blind spots
• Proposed mandatory electronic stability control installation

NTSB also recommended the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration conduct a study on the benefits of extending stricter licensing requirements to drivers of single-unit trucks.