Abstract: In order to explore characteristics of tanker transportation accidents of hazardous chemicals in China, with time consumption for emergency rescue and impacts of hazardous chemical categories and highway grades on rescue time taken into consideration, systematic and comprehensive analysis was conducted for such accidents between 2013 and 2018 from aspects of casualty, time, area, category, and cause. The results show that accidents' number and death toll increase at an average annual rate of 1.9% and decrease at 20.8% respectively. Both high and low temperature period, Chinese New Year, day 12, 13, 24 and 27 of each month and 6:00-9:00 every day are accident-prone periods; some provinces in the eastern coastal areas are frequent accident regions. Main category of traffic accidents, main type of accidents, and major causes are respectively unilateral rollover accidents, leakage accidents and personnel factors. Flammable and liquid hazardous chemicals and high-grade highway cause more accidents while toxic substances (solid and liquid), explosives (liquid and gaseous), and urban highways have the greatest impact on time consumption for emergency rescue.

Key words: tank vehicles, road transportation, hazardous chemicals, statistical analysis, emergency rescue