Crashes can be costly: FMCSA

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — A recent study by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) pegs the cost of each truck accident at $76,000.

The study takes into consideration a number of factors, including medical charges, emergency service charges, property damage fees and loss of productivity due to equipment downtime.

Crash data from 1997 was used in the study – a year that saw more than $24.4 billion lost due to truck crashes. The most costly crashes considered in the study were fatal crashes, which cost an average of $3.4 million.

The average crash cost per 1,000 miles on the road was $259 for single-unit trucks, $138 for single-combination units and $134 for multiple combination rigs, according to the FMCSA.

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