Analysis of truck crash data shows that the majority of truck occupant fatalities occur as a result of rollover or frontal collisions. A large proportion results from single-vehicle crashes and about one third of fatal crashes involve ejection of the truck driver from the cab. Stronger cab structures to provide adequate occupant survival space, the use of stronger doors and side inflatable tubular structures to prevent ejection, more forgiving interior surfaces, air bags, and seat belts are all possible means of reducing occupant injury.

This paper provides a status report on a current effort to mitigate crash injury to large truck occupants. It presents a detailed survey of the current state-of-the-art in occupant protection countermeasures and their effectiveness, an analysis of U.S. truck crash data with an overview of occupant injury modes, and concludes with a description of a current effort intended to quantitatively estimate the benefits of implementing these countermeasures for the U.S. road system.