GAO-NSIAD-99-82-B-282071
MILITARY SAFETY
Army M939 5-Ton Truck Accident History and Planned Modifications
APRIL 1999
GAO-NSIAD-99-82-B-282071 - Page 3 of 23
B-282071
collecting refuse, transporting troops, and operating as a tractor or
wrecker. The last M939s were fielded in late 1993.
Figure 1: M939A2 5-Ton Tactical Cargo
Truck
Source: U.S. Army.
Should vehicles or equipment prove dangerous or unsafe to operate, the
Army Safety Center, Transportation School and Center, and
Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command (
TACOM
) are responsible for
identifying problems and disseminating information. Among other duties,
the commands collect and evaluate information from accident
investigations and field reports. They also issue Army-wide safety alerts,
precautionary messages, and other information warning of identified
dangers with equipment and vehicles.
Results in Brief
Our analyses and an Army analysis indicate a higher rate of accidents
involving the M939 series 5-ton tactical cargo truck than other comparison
vehicles. Specifically, our analysis of January 1987 through June 1998
accident data showed that, while M939s made up an average of about
9 percent of the Army motor vehicle fleet during that time, about
34 percent of the fleet’s accidents resulting in fatalities of vehicle
GAO/NSIAD-99-82 Military Safety
Page 2
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