Preventing crashes should be the ultimate goal of everyone who is interested in road safety. The vast majority of collisions are the result of some kind of human error, which means that better personal practices and technological advances can help reduce crash risks. Drivers should always remain alert in their attempts to avoid a wreck.
However, some crashes are objectively more dangerous than others and should receive higher priority consideration in people’s safety efforts. Commercial vehicle collisions are among the worst wrecks that occur. A crash involving a passenger vehicle and a large commercial truck will often have tragic consequences, which means that related risks should be top considerations when making decisions in traffic. Understanding what makes commercial vehicle collisions so dangerous can help all travelers to make smarter choices.
1. The size discrepancy
The massive size of a commercial truck is why it is capable of causing catastrophic damage to smaller vehicles. Although cars are large and heavy pieces of machinery, commercial trucks dwarf them.
The significant difference in size means that the occupants of the commercial vehicle are much lower risk in the crash than the people in the passenger vehicle for both injuries and death as a result of the collision. More than four people in passenger vehicles die in such crashes for every one fatality involving someone in a commercial vehicle.
2. The potential for multi-car crashes
Commercial vehicles are often to blame for collisions that back up entire streets and shut down highways. Jackknife incidents and rollovers involving commercial trucks can end up affecting dozens of other vehicles near them in traffic. The possibility of a commercial driver losing control and affecting numerous other vehicles around them is another reason why commercial crashes are so dangerous.
Despite all of the safety regulations that specifically apply to commercial vehicles and extra training required for commercial drivers, a commercial vehicle can still cause a crash that could affect dozens of other vehicles. Given how much damage they can do, commercial vehicles typically have sizable insurance policies in place to compensate those affected by the crash or those who have lost a loved one in a commercial collision.
Learning about the biggest safety concerns related to commercial vehicle crashes can help people make safer decisions in traffic and more informed choices in the event of a crash.
