The scene of a tractor-trailer accident can be overwhelming to onlookers, often involving multiple vehicles, overturned cars, fire, ambulances and more. While most hope to never observe one, the likelihood that you will is relatively high.
According to the United States Department of Transportation, 450,000 crashes involving large trucks were reported in 2017, with 344,000 involving injuries and 4,237 involving fatalities. In North Carolina alone, there were 14,802 large truck crashes in 2017. Nearly 150 people were killed in those accidents, and thousands were injured.
Large trucks are classified as trucks with a gross weight of more than 10,000 pounds by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and include double-wides, semi-trailers, tractor-trailers and other sizable varieties.
Tractor-trailers are vital to the economy in the U.S., transporting goods all over the country, but these vehicles pose serious risks to drivers and passengers on roadways due to their size alone.