Due to several factors, truck accidents are more dangerous and unique than other vehicle accidents. The size and weight, the cargo, and the long hours that truck drivers are required to drive all play a part. Truck accidents can be devastating.
Commercial trucks are more dangerous than passenger cars because of their size and weight. A fully-loaded truck can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. The average passenger vehicle weighs about 4,000 pounds. A truck’s size is so large that even a minor accident between a car and a truck can result in serious injuries or death.
The type of cargo that trucks carry is another factor that contributes to the unique hazards posed by truck accidents. Commercial trucks can transport dangerous materials like chemicals or gasses, which could cause fatalities and catastrophic injuries in an accident. Unsecured or improperly loaded cargo can cause the truck’s stability to be compromised or even tip over. This poses a danger to other road users.
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) regulations, truck drivers can drive for up to 11 consecutive hours and 77 total hours in a seven-day period. Driver fatigue can be a result of this long and sometimes grueling schedule, which contributes to many truck accidents. Fatigued drivers can have slower reactions, less concentration, and less awareness of their surroundings. All of these factors increase the risk of an accident.
Truck accidents are more likely to result in severe injuries and deaths than other vehicle accidents. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2019, 36,096 motor vehicle accidents resulted in fatalities. Of those, 5,005 involved trucks. Around 14% of motor vehicle deaths were caused by truck accidents. The NHTSA also reports that in 2019, 107,000 people were injured as a result of crashes involving a large truck.
The forces that are involved in a collision of a large truck with a smaller vehicle can cause serious injuries and fatalities. The size and weight of the truck can create a greater impact force, which could result in severe injuries to the passengers of a smaller vehicle.
Truck accidents pose a unique danger to road users. Truck accidents are more dangerous because of their size, weight, cargo, and long driving hours. Truck accidents are more dangerous than other vehicle accidents and often cause serious injuries or fatalities. They pose a major public safety issue.