More tractor trailers to appear on KY roads

Tractor trailers are a common sight to people in the Lexington area since two major highways cross paths there. These heavy trucks transport goods to stores and retailers throughout the state and if it appears that more of them are on the road, it is not peoples’ imagination.

The Commercial Carrier Journal states that commercial trucking is the top method of transporting freight in the U.S. and demand is growing. In fact, the freight transportation industry is expected to grow by 23.5 percent through 2025, and the trucking industry’s portion of this is 71.4 percent. This has led to an explosion of jobs in the trucking industry and the need for more trucks on American roads. The amount of goods hauled across states, including Kentucky, will experience a 3.5 percent growth increase till the year 2019.

It could also lead to more fatal accidents too. Critics of the industry have claimed that many truckers are under pressure to deliver their loads and this has led to violations of federal safety guidelines. Truckers may be tempted to stay on the road longer, companies could overload trailers in an effort to make more money, and newer and less experienced truck drivers could pose a danger to others around them.

When a tractor trailer and a passenger vehicle collide, it is the occupants of the vehicle who often pay a heavy price. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, there were more than 3,600 people across the country who were killed in accidents involving large trucks during 2013, continuing a steady rise in truck accident fatalities. Given that tractor trailers are significantly larger than passenger vehicles and weigh a great deal more, it should come as no surprise that the majority of people who die in these types of collisions are the occupants of passenger vehicles.