Why Truck Blind Spot Accidents Are So Deadly

Accidents involving regular passenger cars happen significantly more often than those involving trucks. However, that does not mean truck accidents don’t happen at all. When they do happen, the damage can be much, much worse. Trucks are so big that they can easily overpower a smaller passenger car.

To put it into perspective, a regular car can weigh anywhere from 2,500 pounds to 6,000 pounds depending on the exact make and model. Meanwhile, 18-wheeler trucks can weigh up to an incredible 84,000 pounds. Having that much weight crash into anything can cause some serious damage. Commercial truck drivers go through specialized training to become a qualified driver. During this process, they learn about their blind spots and how to best navigate around them in order to avoid catastrophic collisions. Unfortunately, blind spot accidents do still happen.

Blind spot accidents happen more than you may think

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) pulled data and released a report recently that detailed exactly how many truck accidents there have been. In 2020 alone, there were at least 415,000 police-reported accidents involving trucks. 101,000 of these crashes caused injuries and 4,444 crashes led to a fatality. In Arkansas specifically, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that there were 84 trucks involved in fatal crashes which accounted for 9.9% of all Arkansas’ fatal crashes. To make matters worse, the NHTSA also found that 71% of those killed in these truck crashes were actually occupants of other vehicles.

At the end of the day, a separate report found that one-third of accidents involving both a truck and a car happens in the large truck’s blind spot. While these crashes may not always be so easily avoidable, it’s best to learn more about blind spots to try and stay as safe as possible on the road.

Where are a truck’s blind spots?

When you’re in driver’s ed, you learn all about the blind spots in your own car. However, you never learn about the massive blind spots on trucks that you’ll share the road with. The FMCSA shared a video displaying these huge gaps in an effort to make drivers more aware. In large trucks, blind spots are:

• In the front. Right underneath the cabin and up to about 20 feet in front of it are nearly invisible to the driver.
• In the back. Directly behind the truck up to about 30 feet leaves you right in a blind spot.
• On the driver’s side. This area expands across one lane of traffic and goes as far back as nearly half the trailer.
• On the passenger’s side. This area is the largest blind spot and why people have always said to never pass a truck on the right. It expands across two whole lanes of traffic and goes as far back as half the trailer.

A truck’s blind spots are so big because of the immense size of the vehicle. Their trailers can be anywhere from 48 feet long to over 59 feet long. Although their drivers sit up much higher than those in standard cars, truckers also don’t have the luxury of checking a rearview mirror for blind spots. Since the trailer is so massive, it obstructs the view of what would be a rearview mirror anyway.

Why truck blind spot accidents happen in Little Rock

Most blind spot truck accidents all have the same cause: the trucker simply didn’t see the other car before they changed lanes or turned. At the same time, there are more specific ways these blind spot accidents happen. Some examples of those are:

• A car tailgating. If a passenger car is tailgating a large truck, the car may not have enough time to slow down or stop, and the truck will have no idea that the car is even there.
• Truck gets cut off. When a passenger car cuts in front of a truck abruptly, there is not much the truck can do to quickly slow down or stop since they need significantly more time and space to do that. The truck may not even realize that a car cut in front of them until it’s too late.
• A car lingering in their blind spot. Some people may not know where the truck’s blind spots are and may remain driving in an area where the trucker cannot see them. Truck drivers are trained to keep tabs on their blind spots so they’re aware of when someone moves in and out of them, but they may think the coast is clear if a car lingers there for a while.
• Truck driver doesn’t check blind spots. Of course, just because a driver checks their blind spots doesn’t mean they’ll always see a car there. However, truck drivers need to stay alert and aware as cars drive in and out of their blind spots to try their best to avoid an accident.

If you were injured in a blind spot accident involving a truck, you should seek the legal advice of an experienced commercial truck accident attorney as soon as possible. The size and weight of a large truck can cause some serious damage to yourself, your property, and your emotional well-being. Plus, those types of damages can rack up a lot of bills for repairs, medical treatment, lost wages, and so much more. This is not a battle that you’ll want to fight alone. Bailey & Greer, PLLC will help build a solid case for you and fight for the compensation you deserve when you have suffered an injury in a tragic Little Rock truck accident. Call us or fill out our contact form to schedule a free consultation at our office in Little Rock.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What Are Underride Accidents?
• How Poor Truck Maintenance Contributes to Accidents
• Can You Sue a Trucking Company if You’re Injured in a Crash?
• What Do Truck Drivers Take to Stay Awake?
• How Does Lack of Inspection Lead to Truck Accidents?