The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) sponsored a study that concluded approximately twice as many car drivers would die in collisions with light trucks than in similar collisions involving cars of the same weight as the light truck. For the same reasons, occupants of passenger cars and light trucks have much higher fatality rates than occupants of large trucks and buses.

These types of accidents occur because commercial trucks such as 18-wheelers, semi trucks and tractor trailers tower over the small passenger vehicles with which they share the road. When traveling at higher speeds on major highways, seemingly insignificant driving errors that may occur without consequence in other situations can result in catastrophe when a large truck is involved.

Often, truck accidents involve some type of negligence on the part of the truck driver, the trucking company, or both. Some of the unique causes of car-truck accidents include:

• Inadequate training of the truck driver
• Lack of proper maintenance of the truck or trailer
• Improper loading
• Driving with an unsecured load
• Oversized truck
• Poorly maintained truck brakes
• Tire tread separation and tire blowouts
• Failure to yield the right of way
• Trucks obscuring a car driver's view
• Truck jackknifing and rollovers on slippery roads
• Unsafe safety systems, reflectors, lights, and other warning devices
• Failure of truck to install an under-ride protection under-guard

Some of the most common causes of car-truck accidents include:

• Fatigued, sleepy or tired driver
• Speeding
• Inattention by the truck driver
• Bad or aggressive driving by the truck driver, such as tailgating or speeding
• Use of alcohol or drugs by the truck driver
• Negligent driving in bad weather or poor visibility conditions
• Negligent passing