What to Know When Sharing the Road with Semi-Trucks
More than 250,000 accidents involving large trucks and small automobiles occur each year. Approximately 97% of these accidents are caused by the surrounding drivers in smaller vehicles. These numbers are a 52% increase from 2009, the year containing the lowest recorded number of truck-related incidents since 1975, when the data collection began. Accidents that involve a large semi-truck or other large commercial vehicle are much more perilous than those including two smaller automobiles and can include the casualties of drivers and pedestrians. This is due to multiple factors. Semi-trucks have larger blind spots, take longer to stop, are less maneuverable, and their operators are often overworked and fatigued.