Analysis on Tank Truck Accidents Involved in Road Hazardous Materials Transportation in China

<b>Objective:</b> Due to the sheer size and capacity of the tanker and the properties of cargo transported in the tank, hazmat tanker accidents are more disastrous than other types of vehicle accidents. The aim of this study was to provide a current survey on the situation of accidents involving tankers transporting hazardous materials in China.<b>Methods:</b> Detailed descriptions of 708 tanker accidents associated with hazmat transportation in China from 2004 to 2011 were analyzed to identify causes, location, types, time of occurrence, hazard class for materials involved, consequences, and the corresponding probability.<b>Results:</b> Hazmat tanker accidents mainly occurred in eastern (38.1%) and southwest China (12.3%). The most frequent hazmat tanker accidents involved classes 2, 3, and 8. The predominant accident types were rollover (29.10%), run-off-the-road (16.67%), and rear-end collisions (13.28%), with a high likelihood of a large spill occurring. About 55.93% of the accidents occurred on freeways and class 1 roads, with the spill percentage reaching 75.00% and the proportion of spills that occurred in the total accidents amounting to 77.82%, of which 61.72% are considered large spills. The month with the highest accident probability was July (12.29%), and most crashes occurred during the early morning (4:00–6:00 a.m.) and midday (10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.) hours, 19.63% versus 16.10%. Human-related errors (73.8%) and vehicle-related defects (19.6%) were the primary reasons for hazmat tanker crashes. The most common outcomes of a hazmat tanker accident was a spill without further events (55.51%), followed by a release with fire (7.77%), and release with an explosion (2.54%).<b>Conclusions:</b> The safety situation of China's hazmat tanker transportation is grim. Such accidents not only have high spill percentages and consistently large spills but they can also cause serious consequences, such as fires and explosions. Improving the training of drivers and the quality of vehicles, deploying roll stability aids, enhancing vehicle inspection and maintenance, and developing good delivery schedules may all be considered effective measures for mitigating hazmat tanker accidents, especially severe crashes.

<b>研究目标：</b> 由于罐车本身体量与荷载能力巨大，且罐内装载货物具有特殊属性，危险货物罐车（hazmat tanker）事故的危害性远高于普通机动车事故。本研究旨在针对中国境内危险货物罐车运输事故的现状开展系统性调研。
<b>研究方法：</b> 本研究对2004年至2011年间中国境内发生的708起危险货物罐车运输事故进行详细剖析，梳理并分析了事故成因、发生地点、事故类型、发生时段、涉事物料危险类别、事故后果及对应发生概率等核心维度。
<b>研究结果：</b> 危险货物罐车事故主要集中于华东地区（38.1%）与西南地区（12.3%）。事故占比最高的涉险物料危险类别为第2、3、8类。最频发的事故类型依次为侧翻（29.10%）、驶离路面（16.67%）与追尾碰撞（13.28%），此类事故伴随大规模物料泄漏的概率较高。约55.93%的事故发生于高速公路与一级公路，该类路段的泄漏事件占比达75.00%，总事故中的泄漏事件占比为77.82%，其中61.72%被判定为大规模泄漏。事故发生概率最高的月份为7月（12.29%），多数事故集中于凌晨时段（4:00-6:00，占比19.63%）与午间时段（10:00-12:00，占比16.10%）。人为操作失误（73.8%）与车辆自身缺陷（19.6%）是危险货物罐车事故的主要诱因。事故最常见的后果为单纯物料泄漏（55.51%），其次为物料泄漏伴火灾（7.77%），以及物料泄漏伴爆炸（2.54%）。
<b>研究结论：</b> 中国危险货物罐车运输安全形势严峻。此类事故不仅泄漏占比高、且多为大规模泄漏，还可能引发火灾、爆炸等严重后果。可通过优化驾驶员培训与车辆性能、部署侧翻稳定辅助系统、强化车辆检测与维护工作、制定合理的运输排班计划等措施，有效降低危险货物罐车事故的发生率，尤其是重特大事故的发生概率。