What Is The Biggest Threat To Highway Safety

Which do you believe is more dangerous to highway safety? Trucks or cars? Most people will agree that trucks pose a greater threat due to their size. The fact is that most people aren't truck drivers. But if you answered trucks, you are wrong.

According to an auto transportation study, passenger vehicles collide with trucks more often than not. This is according to the American Trucking Association, 87 percent of fatal car-truck collisions in 2010 were caused by passenger vehicles. In rear-end collisions, 76% of all crashes were caused by cars. Although many drivers assume truckers are to blame for rear-end crashes, these hard facts prove otherwise. Furthermore, truck accidents account for only 27 percent of all accidents. This compares to 53 percent of accidents involving cars. It's the passengers that are most at risk of speeding in dangerous situations.

This information will help you remember to not blame trucks for an accident on the roadside. Move Car Auto Transport believes that it was most likely the fault of the passenger car.

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST HIGHWAY SAFETY THREAT-

Cars or trucks?

when a passenger vehicle collides with a large truck, it's usually the fault of the passenger vehicle driver.

Fatal truck-car crashes in 2010

HEAD-ON

Who crossed the center line?

Cars: 87%,  trucks: 13%

REAR-END

Who hit the other vehicle?

Cars:  76%, trucks: 24%

DRUNK DRIVERS IN FATAL CRASHES

While drunk drivers* account for a small part of fatal truck wrecks, they are responsible for more than a fifth of fatal car wrecks.

THE LEADING DRIVER-RELATED FACTOR IN FATAL MULTIVEHICLE ACCIDENTS DURING 2010 WAS

SPEEDING

in 27% of large truck incidents
in 53% of passenger vehicle incidents

Lange Trucks
For multiple-vehicle crashes, speeding, and distraction together were factors in 12 percent of the incidents. All other factors were recorded in less than 4 percent of incidents.
1. Speeding
2. Distraction
3. Failure to keep in the proper lane
4. Vision obscured
5. Failure to yield the right-of-way
6. Impairment
7. Following improperly
8. Failure to obey traffic signs
9. Operating in a reckless manner
10. Overcorrecting

Passenger Vehicles
For multiple-vehicle crashes, the top four causes were among factors in 48 percent of the incidents.

1. Speeding
2. Impairment
3. Failure to keep in the proper lane
4. Failure to yield the right-of-way
5. Distraction
6. Operating in a reckless manner
7. Overcorrecting
8. Failure to obey traffic signs
9. Driving on the wrong side of the road
10. Vision obscured