Mark Berwick

UNDERRIDE SAFETY PROTECTION: Benefit-Cost Assessment of Rear-Impact Guards for the North Dakota Farm Truck Fleet

Objective: The North Dakota Legislature recently passed a law exempting the states agricultural truck fleet from a federal safety program requirement for rear-guard equipment on large trucks. This equipment has been shown to reduce crash severity when a passenger vehicle collides with the rear of the truck. This study uses truck fleet, truck crash, and injury severity data to estimate the public safety benefit derived from passenger-vehicle underride protection during rear-end crashes involving large agricultural trucks in North Dakota. Methods: A benefit-cost analysis of crash injury avoidance is developed based on the frequency and severity of rear-end truck collisions in North Dakota between 2001 and 2007. Results: The injury avoidance benefits and commercial vehicle safety grant benefits are estimated to be

North Dakota Strategic Freight Analysis: The Role of Intermodal Container Transportation in North Dakota

11.4 to

North Dakota wheat transportation knowledge for market enhancement.

20.2 million during the seven-year depreciable truck life. Conclusion: The public safety benefits for rear-impact guards are higher than the estimated lifetime cost for the equipment and maintenance of

Evaluation of Strategic Logistics of Rural Firms

8.1 million.