There’s been a major focus over the years on making all cars much safer than they have been in the past. The crash test rating system helps with this, as you can compare different vehicles and see how they stack up.
While this is beneficial, there is still something to be said about the physics of a crash. A vehicle that has more mass and more height is generally going to offer better protection, and it can also inflict greater damage on any smaller, lower vehicle that it strikes.
Remember, all of that mass adds energy to the crash. This energy passes from one vehicle to the other, so a vehicle that significantly outweighs another is going to create far more severe damage. This also dramatically increases the risk of serious injuries for those in the smaller vehicle.
This is one reason 18-wheeler accidents are so dangerous
You can see these physics in play in many different accidents. Even if it’s just a small hybrid car getting hit by a large pickup truck, the same sort of scientific principles hold true. But this is perhaps most evident when an 18-wheeler is involved in an accident with almost any other vehicle. These large commercial vehicles may weigh as much as eighty thousand pounds, which could be 20 times as much as the vehicle that they’re hitting. This means that those in the smaller vehicle face far greater injury risks in the crash.
If you have been catastrophically injured in an accident with an 18-wheeler, or if a loved one has lost their life, then it’s time to look into all of the legal options at your disposal.