Why Are Semi-Truck Accidents So Dangerous?

It likely comes as no surprise that semi accidents are about as dangerous as traffic accidents get, which is really saying something. These massive vehicles are so immensely heavy that they put everyone else on the road at considerable risk. If a truck driver’s negligence causes you to be injured, it’s time to consult with an experienced Chicago truck accident attorney.

The Grim Statistics

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reports a variety of truck accident statistics that tell a grim story, including:

• The majority of fatalities in truck accidents are occupants of the other vehicles involved. 
• In 2019, 4,119 people were killed in truck accidents, and while only 16 percent of these deaths were occupants of the trucks themselves, a full 67 percent were occupants of the other vehicles involved. Another 15 percent were motorcyclists, cyclists, and pedestrians. 
• 31 percent more people died in truck accidents in 2019 than did in 2009. 
• In those 2019 fatal accidents involving both a big rig and a passenger vehicle, 97 percent of vehicle occupants who were killed were occupants of the passenger vehicles. 
• Truck accidents made up 11 percent of all the fatal traffic accidents on our roadways in 2019.
• 12 percent of all the occupants of passenger vehicles who died in 2019 were in semi accidents, and 22 percent of all the occupants of passenger vehicles who died in crashes involving multiple vehicles in 2019 were in semi accidents.

Primary Reasons Truck Accidents Are So Dangerous

There is a wide range of factors that make truck accidents especially dangerous, including:

• 18-wheelers are so much heavier than passenger vehicles that they require far longer stopping distances than the smaller vehicles do. 
• Truck drivers experience large blind spots along every side of their rigs, and this increases the risk for other motorists. 
• Trucks clear far more ground than passenger vehicles do, which makes life-threatening underride accidents a possibility.
• The trucking industry cannot keep up with consumer demands, and when trucking companies push their truckers and/or when truck drivers push themselves beyond the limits of safety, it can lead to serious danger.
• Truck cabs and their trailers are connected by an immense hitch that allows articulated movement between the two parts, which can lead to jackknife accidents (in some adverse driving situations) in which the cab and trailer fold in on one another. 
• Tractor-trailers put in a lot of hard miles on the road, and as a result, they require careful and ongoing maintenance. When the trucking company and/or the truck driver fail to adhere to the appropriate maintenance schedules, it can prove deadly. 

Don’t Delay Consulting with an Experienced Chicago Truck Accident Attorney

The formidable Chicago truck accident attorneys at Saks, Robinson & Rittenberg, Ltd., take great pride in their impressive track record of helping clients like you recover from their full range of physical, financial, and emotional losses. To learn more about how we can help, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.