Why are accidents involving trucks often so much more serious than other types of accidents?

A fully loaded 18-wheeler can weigh 80,000 pounds or more. The weight of a typical passenger vehicle is only 4,000 pounds. When a commercial truck traveling at highway or freeway speeds collides with a much smaller and lighter passenger vehicle, the damage from the impact can be devastating for the passenger vehicle occupants.

Texas collisions involving heavy trucks and lighter vehicles, the occupants of passenger vehicles often suffer serious or catastrophic injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries (TBI) or spinal cord injuries. Many of these injuries cause lifelong disabilities, and some are fatal. NHTSA reports that of the 3,964 people killed in large truck crashes in one recent year, only 691 were truck occupants, while 2,834 were occupants of other vehicles.