Truck Crashes Vs. Car Crashes

Scartelli Olszewski P.C.

Driving any type of vehicle comes with many risks, but the risks are far more severe when driving a truck. Trucks weigh more than cars, which adds great severity to crashes involving trucks. On average, trucks often weigh 20 to 30 times more than passenger cars. Trucks are also higher off the ground, which also generates more severity to crashes when they do happen. While there may be more car crashes compared to truck crashes, the damage caused from truck crashes tend to be more severe.

Let’s look at some data based on an analysis from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS):

• In 2019, a total of 4,119 people died in large truck crashes
• The number of people who died in large truck crashes was 31% higher in 2019 versus 2009
• In 2019, 97% of deaths involving a crash with a passenger vehicle and a large truck were occupants of the passenger vehicles
• In 2019, 11% of all motor vehicle crash deaths occurred in large truck crashes