When sharing the road with massive 18-wheelers and other large commercial trucks, many drivers of passenger vehicles wonder – are trucks more likely to get into accidents than cars? And if a crash does occur between a truck and a smaller vehicle, how serious are the consequences? 

According to the most recent data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which regulates the U.S. trucking industry, approximately 415,000 crashes involving large trucks were reported in 2020. Of the crashes for which severity was reported, 4,444 were fatal, and 101,000 resulted in injury. 

While those numbers are concerning, when you consider the number of registered large trucks and the hundreds of billions of miles they travel each year, the crash rate is lower per mile traveled than for passenger vehicles. The FMCSA reports that in 2020, the large truck fatal crash rate was 1.46 fatal crashes per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, compared to 1.53 for passenger vehicles.

However, this doesn’t mean that trucks are safer than cars. Commercial trucks have a much higher risk exposure since they accrue many more miles on the road each year than the average passenger vehicle. A typical automobile is driven around 12,000-15,000 miles annually, while a long-haul truck may cover over 100,000 miles in the same time span. More miles equate to more opportunities to get into an accident.

Additionally, the most recent data from the National Safety Council (NSC) found that 71% of deaths in crashes involving large trucks and passenger vehicles are passenger vehicle occupants, while truck occupants account for 29% of deaths. 

Factors Contributing to Truck Accidents

So, what causes large truck accidents, and are the contributing factors different than passenger vehicle crashes? Driver-related factors are critical reasons (the last failure leading to a crash) in 33% of fatal truck accidents, according to the FMCSA. Some of the most common critical driver-related factors are:

  • Speeding
  • Distracted driving 
  • Impairment by fatigue, alcohol, illness, or other factors
  • Failure to yield the right of way
  • Careless driving
  • Overcorrecting
  • Inadequate surveillance
  • Following too closely

Many of these causes, like speeding, driver distraction, and impairment, are also leading factors in automobile crashes. However, some risk factors are more pronounced or unique when it comes to large trucks:

  • Driver Fatigue – Strict hours of service (HOS) regulations aim to prevent truck driver fatigue, but demanding delivery schedules still frequently lead to drowsy driving in the trucking industry. Driving while drowsy slows reaction time and decision-making ability.
  • Bigger Blind Spots – The massive size of trucks means they have much larger blind spots than passenger vehicles. Other motorists lingering in those blind spots can lead to lane change collisions.
  • Longer Stopping Distances – Loaded tractor-trailers can weigh up to 80,000 lbs. It takes significant time and distance for them to come to a complete stop, especially at highway speeds. If traffic suddenly slows, it can be difficult to avoid a rear-end collision. 
  • High Rollover Risk – Commercial trucks have a much higher center of gravity, making them more prone to rollover accidents, especially when taking highway exit ramps or curves too quickly. Tanker trucks filled with liquids are particularly susceptible to rollovers.
  • Inadequate Maintenance – Proper inspection and maintenance of critical components like brakes, tires, lights and coupling devices is essential for truck safety. Failure to adequately maintain trucks causes or contributes to many accidents.

The Consequences of Truck Accidents

As the accident statistics showed, when crashes occur between large trucks and passenger vehicles, the consequences are often catastrophic for the occupants of the smaller automobiles simply due to the massive size and weight difference. At 80,000 lbs, a fully loaded tractor-trailer can weigh 15-25 times as much as a passenger car. 

In a collision, the occupants of a smaller vehicle have far less protection than the truck driver and are much more likely to suffer severe or fatal injuries. Many truck accident victims face lengthy and difficult roads to recovery, requiring extensive medical treatment, rehabilitation, and time away from work. The financial costs can be immense. According to the FMCSA, the estimated average cost of a large truck crash is $91,000 for crashes resulting in property damage only, $200,000 for injury crashes, and a staggering $3.6 million for fatal crashes.

Contact Our Helena Truck Accident Lawyers

If you or a loved one has been seriously hurt in an accident involving a large commercial truck in Helena, an experienced truck accident attorney can make it easier to secure the compensation you need and deserve. Trucking companies and their insurers have teams of lawyers working to minimize payouts for crash claims.

At Doubek, Pyfer & Storrar, our truck accident attorneys in Montana will thoroughly investigate the crash to determine fault and identify all potential sources of recovery, deal with the insurance companies on your behalf, and fight for maximum compensation for your medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and other applicable damages.

Fill out the confidential contact form on our website and we can contact you, or call us now at 406-442-7830 and get your immediate questions answered.