Is there a time when Charlotte traffic isn’t congested? I-77 and I-85 are an endless flow of cars and trucks.
With that many vehicles sharing the road, there are bound to be multiple accidents daily. And if any of those accidents involve a tractor-trailer, it’s likely to involve fatalities.
Overwhelming weight and speed
Americans depend on truckers to deliver products across the country. A fully loaded tractor-trailer can weigh 80,000 as it carries goods to our local stores. Due to this massive weight, the force of its impact on a passenger vehicle is substantial. In 2022, in accidents involving large trucks, 70% of the deaths were the smaller vehicle’s occupants.
Speed is another factor in tractor-trailer accidents. Truck drivers require a much longer stopping distance than smaller vehicles. Driving at 65 mph, a truck driver can go over 200 yards (the length of two football fields) before bringing their vehicle to a complete stop. When traveling in congested traffic, the potential for a catastrophic collision is exceedingly high.
There are several factors that contribute to the likelihood of tractor-trailer accidents, including:
- Driver fatigue resulting from long shifts, road daze and meeting delivery deadlines
- Other motorists’ failure to account for the multiple blind spots that a large truck may have
- Failure of brakes or tires
One type of accident that is especially dangerous is the underride collision. This occurs when a smaller vehicle slides under a tractor-trailer. These accidents are usually fatal because there is little protection where the truck and car make contact and the car is crushed or the roof is sheared off.
Trucking companies are responsible for ensuring the safety of their tractor-trailers and drivers. If they fail to do so and one of their drivers kills a passenger vehicle occupant, then the surviving family members may have grounds for a wrongful death lawsuit.
