DID YOU KNOW … that most car-truck crashes are caused by car drivers? A 2013 study by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute examined 8,309 fatal car-truck crashes. The study concluded that car drivers were at fault in 81% of the crashes and truck drivers at fault in 27% of the crashes. The American Trucking Association analyzed the study’s findings further. It found that cars were the encroaching vehicle in 89% of head-on crashes and in 88% of same direction sideswipes.
Most truck drivers must hold a valid commercial driver’s license. They receive periodic safety training. Most truck drivers are safety conscious. Car drivers do not receive this same safety training. Many car drivers cut off large trucks without signaling when changing lanes or they “hang out” in the truck’s blind spots. It takes hundreds of feet to stop or even slow down a loaded tractor semi-trailer.
So, remember to always give large trucks plenty of room when changing lanes, signal your intentions, and don’t drive in a truck’s blind spots. These small precautions might save a life – including yours!