Semi-trucks are intimidating to most passenger vehicles on the road, and with good reason. Semi-trucks are significantly bigger and heavier than cars and trucks driven by the public. One of the most dangerous places you can drive is directly behind a semi-Truck, though drivers cannot always avoid it. The following accidents can result from truck driver error when a car is traveling behind a large truck. If you are injured, speak with a truck accident attorney.

Underride Accidents

An “underride accident” is when a car or truck collides with a semi-truck and essentially gets wedged partially under the trailer. In some cases, vehicles like sporty convertibles can actually get wedged completely under a semi-truck. Even worse, the semi-truck driver might not even realize that there has been a collision and will continue to drive normally. 

These are clearly very serious accidents. Sadly, about 50% of semi-truck accidents are underride-type crashes. According to research from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 20% of underride impacts are on the rear end of the semi-truck, and 22% are from driving into the side of the semi-truck.

Passenger vehicles are designed to be impacted around the sides and corners—this is why a “bumper” exists and is located on the lower front and rear edge. However, cars today are much more sophisticated than just bumpers. Within the engine frame, a modern car has, for example, crumple zones. These help the car to “cave in” at the motor area, leaving the passenger cabin intact during a front-end collision. The front windshield is probably the most vulnerable spot on a car when it comes to a crash because it has no roll cage, no airbag, no crumple zone, etc. 

Yet, in a car vs. semi-truck underride scenario, the car’s windshield is generally what impacts the semi-truck’s rear bumper. You can just imagine how dangerous it is to have the windshield shatter a foot away from your face and try to protect you from the impact of a semi-truck.

Causes of Truck Accidents

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, there are three types of semi-truck accidents:

• Loss of control of the truck due to speeding, system failure, or over-driving in poor road conditions. This causes 29% of semi-truck collisions.
• Accidentally driving off the road or into another lane. This is a factor in 32% of semi-truck crashes. 
• Rear-ending another vehicle. Even when a semi-truck crashes into the back of another car, it can still be an underride type of collision. This accounts for 22% of semi-truck accidents.

Understanding the Role of Trucks  

Trucks are primarily driven by people who are on the job. These drivers are typically paid via systems that reward the drivers for traveling long hours without breaks or sleep. For instance, most truckloads are guaranteed by a certain hour on a specific day—they have deadlines. This puts a lot of pressure on the drivers to “over-drive” road conditions, which is super dangerous in such a big, heavy vehicle. Unexpected traffic or road construction delays may cause a truck driver to exceed the speed limit, travel when the road is not safe due to extreme weather, or drive when fatigued. All of these factors contribute significantly to a high degree of truck-involved collisions, including underride accidents.

The Role of the Truck’s Size 

A loaded semi-truck usually weighs around 80,000 pounds. On the other hand, a typical passenger car weighs between 3,000 to 4,000 pounds. When a vehicle this bulky is involved in a wreck, the potential for injuries or death is astronomically higher. Hitting the rear or side of a semi-truck’s trailer is like hitting a wall for the most part. This is what makes it possible for a car to crash into the back of a semi-truck, get wedged under the rear edge of the truck, and have the truck drag the car down the road, not even noticing that there was an impact.  

Rural Areas Are Particularly Dangerous  

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration reports that the majority of deadly truck crashes occur on rural roads. It’s not clear whether truckers over-drive rural road conditions, become super fatigued on “boring” country roads, or if there is some other factor causing this. Either way, always give semi-trucks a generous space cushion, particularly in rural areas. 

Remember, if you do not see a semi-truck’s mirrors, then the trucker probably has no idea that you are there. This is a hugely dangerous blind spot. A semi-truck’s blind spot is much larger than the blind spot on a short, small passenger vehicle. Again, give a semi-truck a larger space cushion than you might find necessary, particularly when following in the back.  

Rear-Impact Guards for Semi-Trucks

Starting in 1998, most semi-trucks have to have something called a “rear impact guard” installed at the back end of their trailers. This guard acts as an extension of the trailer’s surface to bring it lower to the ground. The idea is to prevent cars from getting wedged under the trailer in a collision. You may have also seen white, curvy “extensions” under the side of an 18-wheeler trailer as well. They primarily help with airflow on the side of the trailer, but stronger ones continue to be developed to prevent cars from crashing through them in an underride situation.

Canada has much stricter laws for rear-impact guards than the US does. In 2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the US proposed a law to align our rear-impact guard standards with those of Canada. The NHTSA refused to authorize these improved standards saying that the majority of new semi-trucks coming off the assembly line meet Canada’s standards anyway (since many trucking companies ship to Canada as well). This sadly doesn’t fix the problem of older semi-trucks or semi-trucks that never go to Canada.

Contact an El Paso Truck Accident Lawyer Today

If you were driving behind a semi-truck and got into an underride accident, our El Paso truck accident lawyers can assist you. You have rights and deserve to be compensated for your damages and stress. Our speedy and dedicated team of truck accident attorneys in El Paso is eager to help you. Reach out via our online contact page or call us at 410-694-7349.

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