The Most Common Types of Truck Accidents

An estimated 3 million commercial trucks drive on the United States roadways to move 9.2 billion tons of freight every year. This leads to more than 400,000 truck crashes that occur each year. Across the country, more than 4,100 people died in truck accidents during one recent year. By far the largest percentage of people killed in collisions with trucks — 68 percent — are occupants of the smaller vehicle, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the Highway Loss Data Institute.

Truck accidents comprise such a large proportion of fatal accidents, and cause such a large amount of injuries because of the physical nature of trucks. A big rig can weigh as much as four or more times what a car weighs. They are much longer and often wider than other vehicles on the road. A truck collision with a smaller vehicle is highly likely to do significant or catastrophic damage to the smaller vehicle and its occupants. In crashes with bicycles, motorcycles, or pedestrians, the damage is likely to be catastrophic or fatal, because these people have almost no protection.

Types of truck accidents

Underride

An underride refers to the type of accident in which a smaller vehicle is following the truck and cannot stop in time if the truck stops. The smaller vehicle can wedge itself either partially or completely under the truck in these cases, because of the truck’s greater height. Underrides usually occur when a truck stops abruptly and the vehicle behind is following too closely to stop in time. The smaller vehicles can be crushed or the roof shorn off. Underrides are frequently fatal.

There were 250 fatalities from a car colliding with the rear of a trailer and 302 fatalities from a car colliding with the side of a trailer. — The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), 2016

The causes an underride accident:

• Improperly manoeuvred turns or lane changes
• A truck making a fast stop, leading to a rear-end collision
• A truck’s inconsistent speed outside the flow of traffic
• A car in the truck’s blind spot when the truck changes lanes
• A truck driver failing to signal when turning

Rollover

Because trucks are tall and carry heavy loads, they can easily roll over. While cars can also roll in an accident, truck rollovers are far more common.

48 percent of truck driver fatalities are due to rollovers, but just 22 percent of car accident fatalities are.

The most common reason for a rollover is speeding — either going faster than the speed limit or going too fast for the conditions. A truck driver who doesn’t slow enough to get off an interstate ramp or turn a corner, for example, can cause a rollover. Events that cause a driver to lose control can also cause a rollover.

Too heavy or incorrectly loaded trucks can also cause rollovers. Poor maintenance of a truck, such as delayed or inadequate maintenance of the brakes, can also cause rollovers. Improper steering of a large truck can also be a factor. Both brakes and steering in a truck are quite different than they are in cars. Truck drivers need to be trained to operate both. A trucking company who hires unqualified drivers may hire drivers ill-equipped to brake or steer properly, putting everyone on the roadway at risk.

The most common causes of rollover truck accidents:

• Speeding
• Sudden swerves or lane changes
• Improper cargo loading
• Dangerous roads or weather conditions
• Failure to perform proper maintenance
• Other driver error including fatigue, distraction, or improper training
• What’s the difference between a “tripped” vs. an “untripped” rollover accident?
• A tripped rollover is when something outside the truck causes it to roll over. This type of rollover can be because of the truck hit a guardrail, another vehicle, or some other object on the road.
• Distracted and/or Negligent. Often, distracted driving includes falling asleep at the wheel, texting while driving, sudden lane changes

Jackknife

A big rig or 18-wheeler usually consists of a cab and a trailer. “Jackknifing” is when those two parts fold at the joint. It is an accident that causes the tractor truck to swing around perpendicular to the trailer (a 90-degree angle). From the air, the truck looks like an open jack-knife.

This type of accident is often caused by the truck’s driver braking improperly or trying to stop too suddenly. The brakes on a truck are complicated, and trucks need at least 40 percent more time and space to stop than other vehicles require.

When this happens, the driver no longer has control of the movement of the trailer. A jackknife can cause accidents with other vehicles, because one part of the truck might suddenly be in another lane and blocking traffic. A jackknife can cause cargo to spill or make the truck itself an obstacle. Hitting debris can be as dangerous as hitting another vehicle — and drivers who swerve to avoid debris run the risk of causing an accident as well.

A jackknife accident could be caused by:

• Equipment malfunction
• Locked wheels
• Brake failure or speeding
• Weather conditions (wet weather)
• Loose cargo
• Debris
• Incorrect maneuvering

Cargo Spill

Anything that makes a truck’s cargo fall or throws it from the truck can cause an accident. This could happen because the truck’s doors are not properly secured or the cargo isn’t properly secured inside. Cargo spills can also happen if the truck is carrying too much weight for its size, or if the cargo is improperly loaded.

Debris/Road Hazards. A truck’s cargo may simply fall out of the flatbed or trailer and become an extremely dangerous obstacle. Even if no other motorists are around, big objects lying in the middle of the lane pose serious hazards on the highway when other drivers come upon them unaware.

Dangerous debris was a factor in more than 200,000 crashes. Two-thirds of these truck accidents were the result of truck cargo not being properly tied down. These crashes resulted in 500 deaths and 39,000 personal injuries. — A 4-year period study by AAA

Cargo spills can also occur when an accident happens for other reasons. Both other vehicles and objects hitting the truck can cause the truck to lose cargo, and so can a jack-knife or a rollover.

Some cargo, like hazardous materials and flammable materials, is intrinsically dangerous because of the ability to catch on fire or pose a hazard. But nearly all cargo can be dangerous once it’s out of the truck and on a road, because of the possibility for it to hit other vehicles, people, property, or to impact visibility.

Wide Right Turn

Because of their size and the position of the cab, trucks turning right actually must swing left first. Truck drivers learn techniques to make this turn safely, but inexperienced or fatigued drivers may either swing too far to the left or fail to make the right in their lane. The truck may hit smaller vehicles as a result.

Blindspot Accident

While all vehicles have blind spots, truck blindspots are much larger. Blindspot accidents can occur if the driver fails to check, if other vehicles pull suddenly into a blindspot, or if the truck is missing needed side — or rear-view mirrors.

Unsecured Cargo

Unsecured cargo does not only mean falling objects. When truck cargo is not properly secured, the entire vehicle becomes a hazard on the road. Unsecured cargo means an imbalanced vehicle that is much more prone to causing an accident.

Rollovers: Improperly secured cargo shifts around in the truck trailer, it creates a critical mass for rollovers. A sudden gust of wind may provide all the momentum needed for the cargo to carry the truck over onto its side.

Federal regulations have a variety of requirements for cargo loading for ground transportation. In general, any cargo must be firmly immobile and secure on a truck using appropriate restraints based on the weight and type of cargo and the truck.

Causes of Unsecured Cargo Accidents:

• Shifting of the load during travel
• Wear and tear on the ropes, chains or straps
• Negligence

Blown out Tires

A tire blowout happens when there’s a cut or break in the tire, or if there’s a small puncture that causes the tire to gradually lose air over time.

Truck tires can blow out if the tires haven’t been maintained properly. Generally, the cause is worn or even bald tread. At times, those conditions combine with objects that may have punctured a tire. Improper loading, or cargo that is too heavy for the size of the truck, are contributing factors as well.

Blown-out tires cause several dangers: they can cause the truck to veer into another lane or off the road or they can make the truck difficult to control and swerve into another lane or take it off the road and cause a rollover or a jackknife.

The reasons a tire blowout might happen:

• Worn out tires from excessive use
• Defective manufacturing
• Tire air leakage
• Low or high air pressure
• Lack of general maintenance
• Unbalanced cargo load
• Dangerous road conditions (potholes)
• Weather conditions (heat)

Striking a Bridge or Overpass

Trucks are taller and ride higher than other vehicles. Most bridges, overpasses, and similar structures have a specific clearance, and not all exceed a truck’s height. If the driver is unaware that the truck is too high, or unaware of the clearance, the truck can hit the structure as it attempts to drive through. These accidents can be very serious. They can almost cause structural damage to the bridge or overpass.

Rear-end

Rear ends major happens due to driver negligence. As semi-trucks are unable to slow down quickly because the stopping distance is much longer for large trucks. This can cause an accident when a driver is required to make a sudden stop to avoid a crash.

Due to the weight of large trucks, rear-end trucking accidents can cause serious property damage and catastrophic injuries, as well as loss of life.

Twenty-two percent of passenger car deaths are caused by rear-end collisions with a truck.

Most rear-end trucking accidents can be attributed to truck driver negligence, including:

• Speeding
• Distracted driving
• Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Driving too fast for weather or road conditions
• Aggressive driving
• Cutting off cars when changing lanes
• Tailgating
• Improperly loaded cargo
• Exceeding weight limits
• Defective or poorly maintained brakes

Head On

Head-on collisions with tractor trailers are often the most devastating, causing serious injury and even death.

Almost one-third of passenger car fatalities are caused by head-on collisions with a truck. — The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI).

T-Bone

T-bone accidents can occur when a truck driver runs a red light and hits another vehicle perpendicularly.

One-quarter of deaths are caused by a T-bone or broadside (one vehicle striking another in the side) collisions. — The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI).