In 2002, light commercial vehicles (LCV) with a gross vehicle weight (GVW) less than 3500kg accounted for 11.3% of motorised road traffic (in terms of billion vehicle kilometres travelled) in the UK, a steady increase from 10.0% in 1992.

The UK Department for Transport (DfT) commissioned TRL to carry out the Heavy Vehicle Crash Injury Study (HVCIS), which is a multidisciplinary study into heavy vehicle safety. One part of this project is research into fatal accidents involving LCVs, in order to determine the causes of LCV accidents and to begin to identify costeffective countermeasures that could improve safety for accidents involving this type of vehicle.

Between 1995 and 1998, there were a total of 1,221 fatal accidents involving LCVs recorded in the UK. TRL obtained and analysed the police accident reports for 43% of these fatal accidents. Data taken from the police reports for analysis included loading details, load movement, vehicle condition, journey purpose and accident causation. Impact details were also coded, using a modified form of the SAE Collision Deformation Classification system.

The report presents the analysis of the data from the completed LCV part of the Heavy Vehicle Crash Injury Study and investigates the types of accident involving these classes of vehicle and the road users at most risk of injury. Factors such as vehicle defects and driver behaviour are also reviewed. Suggestions are made where changes in vehicle design could have the potential to reduce the number and/or severity of LCV accidents and associated injury risk, including both primary and secondary aspects.