Blunt injury to the aorta and other arteries remains a leading cause of death in automobile collisions. We sought to study the fracture mechanics of the bovine descending thoracic aorta and intercostal arteries to gain an understanding of the mechanisms of failure of the arterial wall. Fracture tests were performed on the bovine aorta at a series of locations and orientations. These tests were performed in a medium of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), and compared to the use of deionized (DI) water. It was discovered that the average fracture strength of specimens stored and tested in DI water was higher than that of corresponding specimens in PBS. It was also found that fracture strength in distal aorta wall samples increased nonlinearly from the fracture strength at the aortic isthmus. A tensile testing system was created in order to test intercostal artery specimens while simultaneously viewing their microstructure using a confocal laser scanning microscope. This technique allowed for a unique perspective of the failure mechanism of the arterial wall.