Why truck accidents can be so severe

Anyone who has driven along the highways of Illinois knows that commercial semi-trucks are giants compared to regular passenger cars. The sheer size and weight of commercial trucks make trucks a danger to other drivers on the road. When a truck is involved in an accident with passenger cars, it is usually the occupants of the passenger cars who sustain the most severe injuries.

What makes trucks so dangerous?

While the average passenger car weighs about 5,000 pounds, a truck could potentially weigh 80,000 pounds at its heaviest. Trucks are also much longer, measuring around 70 to 80 feet in length. Due to their size and weight, trucks make wider turns and require much more room to come to a complete stop.

Other dangers of large trucks

Another thing to keep in mind about trucks is that they are more difficult to drive than the average car. Trucks have more gears than cars, and they can be especially challenging to operate when weather conditions are not ideal. Truck drivers must be skilled drivers in order to operate their vehicle properly and navigate difficult road conditions.

Truck drivers are under pressure

Truck drivers are not only operating a vehicle that is difficult to drive, but they are also driving under a certain amount of pressure from their employers. There are deadlines to make deliveries, and some truckers may drive unreasonably long hours in order to get to their destination on time.

Federal truck driving regulations are in place in order to mitigate the risk of serious motor vehicle accidents. However, some truckers are under pressure to disobey these regulations. If truck accident evidence shows that the truck driver was at fault, the trucking company may have liability as well. An attorney may help victims of such an accident file their claims.