GAO-NSIAD-99-82-B-282071

GAO-NSIAD-99-82-B-282071 - Page 9 of 23

B-282071

Comparison of M939s With

2-1/2 Ton Tactical Army

Trucks

The Army Safety Center’s analysis reviewed accident data from October

1990 through June 1998. In this analysis, the accident rate of the M939 was

compared with accident rates for another series of trucks—the M34/M35

series 2-1/2 ton truck. Army officials advised us that this truck was most

comparable with the M939. The analysis reviewed accidents categorized as

Class A mishaps. Army Regulation 385-40 defines a “Class A” mishap as an

accident where total property damage equals $1 million or more; an Army

aircraft or missile is destroyed, missing or abandoned; or an injury and/or

occupational illness resulting in a fatality or permanent total disability.

Because an M939 costs significantly less than $1 million, almost all Class A

mishaps involving an M939 are so classified because they result in a death

or permanent total disability.

The Army Safety Center’s analysis found accident rates for M939s to be

higher than the comparison vehicles. The analysis showed M939 Class A

mishap frequency rates per million miles driven to be 3 to 21 times higher

than those of similar M34/M35 series 2-1/2 ton trucks.

For example, the

1995 Class A mishap rate for the M939 was 0.21 and for the 2-1/2 ton

M34/35s, it was 0.01 per million miles driven—about a 21-fold difference.

Figure 5 shows this comparison.

The M939, M34, and M35 series trucks are all classified as medium tactical vehicles. Army records

indicate that for the 1991-98 time frame, these three truck series comprised around 70 percent of all

vehicles similarly categorized.

GAO/NSIAD-99-82 Military Safety

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