Large trucks are responsible for 10 percent of all fatal accidents in the United States, despite making up only five percent of the nation's vehicles. These heavy-duty vehicles, which can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, pose a disproportionate threat to occupants of smaller cars and SUVs.
Accident investigators describe a particularly lethal scenario known as 'underride,' where the lower portion of a passenger vehicle wedges beneath a trailer. In these collisions, the trailer's height can shear away the upper half of the car, often resulting in 'telescoping' or extreme crushing of the vehicle's cabin.
Safety Disparities
While many European countries mandate side guards on cargo trailers to prevent lateral underride, the U.S. trucking industry has resisted similar implementations. Industry representatives have cited the high cost of installing these additional safeguards as the primary reason for avoiding the technology.
Some protections do exist in the U.S. following the 1967 death of actress Jayne Mansfield. Her fatal crash led to the standardization of rear-impact guards, commonly called 'Mansfield bars,' which aim to prevent vehicles from sliding under the rear of a trailer.
Recent fatalities highlight the ongoing danger of distracted driving and heavy vehicle momentum. In 2024, a driver in Chandler, Arizona, pleaded guilty to negligent homicide after plowing into stopped traffic at 68 mph while watching a TikTok video. The crash killed five people.
Other high-profile incidents demonstrate the sheer force of these collisions. In 2009, a tractor-trailer in Oklahoma failed to slow for traffic, crushing two vehicles and killing ten people. Emergency responders noted the impact was so severe that the number of victims within the crushed vehicles was initially impossible to determine.
