By the numbers
3,757 Killed – In 2011, 3,757 people died in collisions with trucks, an 11.2 percent increase over 2009. There were 88,000 injuries reported during the same period. Source: Commercial Motor Vehicle Facts, March 2013, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (download)
Only $750,000 – Motor carriers are only required to maintain $750,000 in insurance per crash. Yet, damages from a fatal crash can exceed $4 million, leaving injured motorists and taxpayers to pay the difference. Source: Study Shows Trucking Companies Underinsured, Trucking Alliance
98 Percent – Ninety-eight percent of vehicle occupants killed in crashes involving a passenger vehicle and a large truck in 2011 were occupants of the passenger vehicles. Source: Large Trucks Fatality Facts, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety