Semi-trucks are difficult not to notice when we’re driving out on the highway or on our city’s streets. They take up much more space than smaller vehicles and need more room to maneuver around turns or when changing lanes. These big vehicles are also easy to see when they’ve been involved in an accident, generally causing multiple lanes to be blocked off and traffic to back up for miles.
But even though these crashes are easier to spot, how much more likely are big trucks to get into accidents?
We’ll discuss some statistics about large truck collisions and why these accidents may occur.
Looking at the Numbers
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), large trucks were involved in 11% of all fatal crashes nationwide in 2021, causing 4,714 deaths. Unsurprisingly, 68% of those deaths were occupants of other vehicles, while only 16% were occupants of trucks; additionally, 15% were motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians.
An estimated 61% of large trucks involved in fatal crashes were in accidents with just one other vehicle. The most common cause of passenger vehicle occupant deaths in 2-vehicle crashes with large trucks was head-on collisions (31%).
Reasons Why Big Rigs Get into Collisions
Although the percentage of large trucks involved in fatal crashes is less than other vehicles out on the road, it’s important to understand the varying factors at play that may cause these accidents to occur. Here are some of the main reasons why big rigs crash:
Long Hours
Perhaps the biggest reason for truck crashes is the long hours that truck drivers are out on the road. Federal Hours of Service regulations are set forth by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) that require truck drivers to rest for 10 hours after 11 hours of driving. However, not all drivers follow those regulations, and even if they do, studies have suggested that truck drivers who are behind the wheel for more than eight hours are twice as likely to crash.
Under the current FMCSA regulations, truck drivers are required to stop driving after accruing 60 work hours during a seven-day work period or 70 work hours during an eight-day period. A restart provision allows truckers to get back on the road after spending 34 consecutive hours off-duty. Drivers who falsify their records or work beyond what the regulations allow are at much greater risk of driving while drowsy and causing serious truck accidents.
Driver Inattention
Distracted driving is one of the top causes of vehicle collisions across all states and all types of vehicles. With so much technology at our fingertips and so many things to think about and do, it’s easy to become distracted and take our eyes off the road for “just a second,” and that short amount of time is all that it takes for a devastating collision with a truck to occur.
Semi-trucks are heavy, often weighing upwards of 80,000 lbs. when hauling a full load, and the stopping distance needed for these large vehicles is 20%-40% more than for smaller vehicles such as passenger cars.
Mechanical Issues
All drivers know that proper vehicle maintenance is a must to keep our cars safe on the road, but truck drivers with deadlines to meet or trucking companies that decide to cut corners may put off required maintenance. Large trucks often have steering equipment or brake defects, and the IIHS suggests that any vehicle defect in a semi-truck leads to a 200% higher chance of an accident occurring.
Collisions with large trucks are devastating and often deadly, but according to the data provided, big rigs are not as likely as other vehicles to be involved in accidents.
If you’ve been in a wreck with a large truck in Pennsylvania, our team at Laffey Bucci D’Andrea Reich & Ryan, LLP understands the traumatic and confusing situation you’ve been in, and we are here to help. Even though truck drivers choose to act negligently, you shouldn’t have to pay for their poor choices. Our first conversation is always free.