Typically weighing some 25 times more than the average car and needing about 30 percent more stopping distance, trucks present a particular hazard on the road.
New research by law firm T. Madden & Associates, P.C. has determined the best and worst states for truck accidents—which Newsweek has plotted in the interactive map below.
Truck accident data was sourced from various official U.S. state reports, the University of California, Berkeley's Transportation Injury Mapping System and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
In total, the US saw 170,716 reported large truck accidents last year alone—resulting in 86,842 injuries and 5,078 deaths.
The worst state was Wyoming, with around 181 large truck crashes, 60 injuries and 6 deaths for every 100,000 residents.
"Black ice, wind gusts and reduced visibility cause deadly chaos on our roads each winter," said T. Madden & Associates, P.C.'s owner and senior managing partner, Terance Madden, told Newsweek.
"The alarming rate of fatal commercial truck accidents in Wyoming is a wake-up call for both the trucking industry and state regulators.
"It's crucial that we implement stricter safety measures and ensure that drivers are adequately trained to prevent these tragic accidents.
"The statistics are not just numbers. They represent lives lost and families shattered. It's imperative that we address the root causes of these fatal accidents—from winter weather to driver fatigue to vehicle maintenance, to create safer highways in Wyoming."
To help drivers avoid getting into an accident when sharing the road with a truck, the law firm has six key pieces of advice.
These include staying alert and focussed; being cautious when trucks turn, as they need plenty of room and may swing one way before ultimately turning the other; maintaining a larger following distance than you would with smaller road users; using turn signals and headlights when appropriate; and passing safely with plenty of room.
Finally, drivers are encouraged to be aware of how trucks have large blind spots, remembering that if you can't see the truck driver in their side mirror, they can't see you.
"No one can be completely sure they'll never be in a large truck crash," the lawyers wrote on their website.
"Yet by following these tips, drivers in any state can significantly reduce the risk of accidents and facilitate a safer driving experience for everyone on the road."
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