Skip to content

General Knowledge · Accident Procedures

For federal reporting purposes, what makes an occurrence involving a commercial motor vehicle count as an "accident"?

1.It results in a fatality, an injury requiring immediate medical treatment away from the scene, or disabling damage requiring a vehicle to be towed awayCorrect answer
2.Any physical contact between two vehicles at all, regardless of whether anyone was injured or any vehicle was damaged enough to need towing away from the scene
3.Only an occurrence that results in a fatality, with injuries and vehicle damage playing no part at all in the federal definition
4.Any incident that happens while the vehicle is being loaded or unloaded, whatever else it does or does not involve by way of injury

Explanation

Under 49 CFR 390.5, an "accident" is an occurrence involving a commercial motor vehicle that results in a fatality, a bodily injury requiring immediate medical treatment away from the scene, or disabling damage to one or more vehicles requiring it to be transported away by a tow truck. The wrong options each miss the actual threshold: minor contact with no injury or towable damage does not meet the federal definition, the definition is not limited to fatalities alone, and the regulation specifically excludes an occurrence involving only the loading or unloading of cargo.

Source: 49 CFR 390.5

Drill Accident Procedures questions

Related Accident Procedures questions