America's Dangerous Trucks (full documentary) | FRONTLINE 

I’m a truck driver and the biggest issue I see out here is that everyone on the road feels that their time is more valuable than yours. They will do the dumbest things just to save a few seconds on their commute. I see it every day with people in their personal vehicles and commercial trucks as well. No one has patience anymore and will gladly endanger themselves and others for stupid reasons.

As a truck driver this goes out to all citizen drivers. That space between the tractor-trailer is not for you to squeeze in. Its for safe brake distance. You will get crushed,you can and will loose your life. Also,if you are running late speeding and endangering yourself and everyone else on the road is not worth it.

I’m an instate trucker in Arizona, yes trailers could be configured differently for safety purposes. But the real problem is those pulling trailers or campers that are not subject to D.O.T. regulations and are very inexperienced at pulling heavy loads. I constantly have four wheelers pull out in front of me or pass me on the shoulder or pass me just to slow down in front of me, and of course the distracted driver unbelievably dangerous. Pay attention and always remain focused and utilize anticipation and discernment and keep a safe following distance.

Jesus Christ, that story about Riley, about "the day the Earth tilted," ripped my heart out. We lost a daughter in an auto accident and I remember the state police car pulling into our driveway and I knew - I KNEW! - that our daughter had died. And, for the most part, so did we.

Former State Trooper. Out of all the fatal, and or serious injury crashes. A very small amount of them were caused by the commercial vehicle. It’s a fact that drivers are more distracted and impaired. Pointing the finger at the trucking industry is unfair, in reality we should look inwards to improving enforcement and education to everyday drivers.

When will Americans learn that corporations and politicians don't care about the people, they care about the money. Greed is a plague in America. TAKE MONEY OUT OF POLITICS!

'Stay away from the big trucks, son'. My father is a million mile truck driver who worked for the big haulers like CF and Yellow for over 30 years. One of the best pieces of advice he gave me about how to stay safe out on the highway especially on long road trips - where you're in the trucker's world. I do that even in my daily commutes. I stay back from them when following, don't ride along side them any longer than necessary, pass them quickly, give them lots of forward space when merging in front of them and am patient when I'm behind them as they leave from a stop. You should too. Some accidents we have no control over and these mechanical safety devices they're talking about here are a good idea but remember how much control you have to stay safer on the road around trucks. Be aware of them and be very careful around them - stay away from the big trucks.

I drove trucks for 6 years and decided to leave the industry. I will never get rid of my cdl but as far as driving trucks is concerned, I am done. Too many dumbasses on the road. From 4 wheelers, to other truckers to DOT to shipper/receivers, disgusting food at these truck stops, constant road construction, weather and most importantly inconsistent pay. Watching documentaries like this solidifies my decision on leaving the industry.

Don't drive commercially. But as a car driver, I always keep a distance from a big rig whenever possible. Both for my safety, and the truck drivers piece of mind. Just be aware if your on the road with large vehicles, they will not be able to stop/go/turn etc. as fast as you.

Ive been driving trucks for 16+yrs and im telling you this is appalling and sickening. No excuses for this not being taken care of

As a dispatcher at a trucking co for almost 10 years now this doc was extremely eye-opening and alarming to me. This is an issue I've never thought twice about up until now. Thank you for bringing attention to this matter. This makes me want to explore the issue further in hopes that I can help insure the safety of my drivers and the public as a whole.

Before getting your drivers license, it should be mandatory to take a class on how to drive around commercial vehicles and the dangers that come with it from being reckless around them. I don’t drive a truck, but I have a huge respect for those guys and girls. They keep America moving and the economy.

When ever I come across a semi on the highway, I either stay way, way back and if I anticipate a blind spot coming my way, I either drop back behind the truck or smartly accelerate to get out ahead so the trucker can see me. I treat semi trucks like instant death if I don't give them a wide berth. And yes, truckers' skills on the highway have worsened over the past 45 years.

Excellent presentation. As a retired Sheriff's Deputy & Sergeant of 28+ years I saw a number of traffic deaths resulting from rear crashes into semi trailers & one from a side 'under-ride'. They were all of the most gruesome crashes I have ever witnessed. I was glad to hear of the relatively recent legislation for mandated improved rear trailer collision guards. These are most commonly put to use when motorists are following but not completely aware of a semi-trailer slowdown for any variety of reason, the motorist then slamming into the trailer. I find it interesting that so many enclosed semi trailers have the large panel beneath their trailers for the purposes of controlling air turbulence to increase fuel economy. Seems to me the same structure could accommodate a side guard.

I’ve been driving my truck for 6 months now and in those months, I’ve had countless cars cut infront of me to the point I have to slam on my breaks, even if I give myself more than enough stopping distance. It’s very bad in Atlanta,GA.

Every time you hear someone declined to comment in this documentary, just assume the absolute worst and you will generally be more correct than not.

As a diesel mechanic I've been around trucks and trailers all my life. The fact of the matter is people drive too fast they have no fear or consideration of the size and weight of the truck in front or around them and they just don't give a damn. Furthermore when youths died from trucks crashes it's no hidden secret that youth today think they're invisible and it can't happen to them. Don't blame the trucks and the truck drivers for the actions of people in four wheels

As an Owner Operator for the last 30+ years, I have (on a daily basis) saved car drivers from going under my trailer by watching their actions as the merge onto the highway. Before cell phones it wasn't as bad (food, makeup, cigarettes), but since everyone now has a computer in their hand, the amount of car drivers who are merging distracted is massive.

Just had a 22 year old, Evan Dennison, who graduated two months ago, killed after hitting the back of a tractor trailer. Thoughts and prayers for Evan and his family and friends. He was a drum major in the UVA marching band.

I love that almost every rear related accident involving cars, resulted from inattentive drivers, following too closely, and failure to anticipate changes in traffic flow, all of these are on the drivers approaching the truck not the truck itself. If i have my hazards lights on and I'm slowing down rapidly I've done all I can to inform the personal vehicles behind me of sudden hazardous change, if they fail to observe that, I cannot be held liable for what happens afterward.

Driver training is KEY. I spent 12yrs with a CDL and 6yrs as a Smith System trainer. Spend the extra money to get your kids properly trained (it could save their life). As a pro, I spend as little time next to semis as possible. I either stay back, or RACE past them (the right pedal is your friend if used properly). I see people all the time just lingering next to big trucks. You do that at your own peril 💯

A fully loaded tractor trailer is 40 tons. Big wheels and big breaks doesn’t mean it stops on a dime. Physics people. Leave them space!

I’m a seasoned semi truck driver. I believe that a side guard and possibly an alert system should be installed on the trailers. I’ve see a lot of under-ride accidents. The trucks have blind side monitors but it only picks up a vehicle beside the cab, not the trailer area. A mirror is only so good especially on what we call the blind side. The trailers are weight restricted, adding more safety devices adds weight, meaning less cargo to be carried in the trailer. And trust me they want to maximize how much they can fit in the trailer. I believe they are so hesitant due to not only the new safety devices cost, but also the weight added that can possibly take away from their bottom line.

As a CDL holder, a former truck owner operator, a machinist mate on a U.S. Ballistic Missile submarine and a retired funeral director/embalmer my heart breaks for the families that have lost anyone under these circumstances, this is preventable. I am certain that anyone driving commercially would be in favor of anything that would prevent them from being involved with such an accident. This is one of many issues involving truck transport that needs to be addressed with common sense rule making and the political/monetary concerns should be a non issue. There is no calculus that balances a thousand dollars worth of materials, fabrication and installation with the loss of human life

I retired from an airline and recently decided to go back to work driving a truck. There’s absolutely no reason to run this business the way we do. There are companies that are allowed to operate that every single person in the business knows are unsafe. I could literally write a book and I’ve been driving for less than a year.

I'm a police Officer with 23 years of experience. One of the big problems with the reporting of under or over ride is that many Officers don't list it on the accident report. They would just list it as a side collision or rear collision and not mention the over or under ride.

26 year truck driver w/the last 8 as a trucking company owner. There's 1 big issue with these and that is they would cause trucks to get caught on railroad tracks and crests of hills at intersections and such. A lot of docks are sloped and you can see where the skirts get damaged where the slope begins and they drag so these would prevent a trailer from getting into those docks. These are a good idea but the issue is how they'll react to any ground that isn't pretty much flat. Many folks don't realize just where trucks actually go and unfortunately it's not flat ground from point A to point B.

The fact that we get free documentaries from FRONTLINE on RU-vid is priceless .... keeping the education and knowledge alive 🙏🙏🙏

All the guards in the world won’t stop drivers from running into or under trucks. I spent over twenty years on the road driving 18 wheelers , is never ceases to amaze me how little respect people give to a machine that is big enough and heavy enough to crush you and your car like a bug on your windshield. As a former truck driver anytime I’m on the road I stay as fare away from trucks as I can, and I never get in their blind spots. If you can look at the drivers mirror and see him , he can see you . If you can’t see him you are in danger.

This is insane , I got my heavy truck license in 1986 in UK and under run bars were mandatory in UK and Europe from long BEFORE I got my license

Prayers for all the familys that lost someone 🙏🙏🙏

I love PBS Frontline documentaries

As a former 48 state truck driver, these side guards would really help. This has always been a problem. In ice and snow conditions cars are more likely to slide under your trailer, or the trailer more likely to slide over cars. Many trucks have wind guards under the trailers to improve mileage and these occupy the same space as the side guards, so we can already show the space is available.

I'm a trucker who has been pulling stepdecks and flabeds. I had a light accident in Indianapolis in winter when a car slid and hit my side boxers on my speddeck. Nothing happened besides some scratches. Had my trailer been a dryvan, a different story it would have been

There are Mandates for so many stupid things in this country but when an actual mandate would make a huge difference, they just can’t manage to do it in Washington

I always knew our trailers had underride risks but it really hit me when I went to Europe a few years ago. NONE of their trailers have any sort of gaps that could fit a car and the guards are very robust. That's how it should be here.

Fascinating. This is why I try to steer clear. Where I live in New Jersey we have highways that tractor trailers are forbidden to use. I actually wasn't aware until this documentary that those barriers are called Jersey barriers and were developed and used here first. We also have double highways, trucking / bussing lanes which cars may ride in and separate lanes for passenger vehicles and jughandles or U-turns for left turns. I recall when I was younger my friend losing her parents when they were stopped at an intersection waiting to make a left hand turn, they had their wheels turned and were hit them from behind sending them into oncoming traffic, where they were overtaken by a truck. They were decapitated.

U know as a truck driver i cant beleave how many cars a day pass me like standing still even in speed zones at 65 moh or higher it blows my mind

I'm European truck driver with 17 years experience behind the steering wheel. I think that trailers should be much better secured against such accidents. I was involved myself in a accident just like that. A car driven by a 19 years old drunk driver with 3 more passengers crashed in to the end of the trailer of my truck. The car was not behind me traveling in my direction. It came laterally. The direction of movement of the car was perpendicular to mine. The car crashed in and entered absolutely all right between the last axle and the safety iron bumper of the trailer. Because of that the driver and the front passenger were beheaded. Both passengers seating at the back seats survived. This happened 5 years ago and I still have nightmares because of the accident.

If the cost is the biggest issue, the insurance industry should have required the underride protection because they ultimately foot the bill.

As a semi truck driver, I pray and ask God for protection and safety before every trip.I want car drivers to know that it’s not easy to stop a truck especially if it’s loaded and heavy, maneuver a truck is not smooth like a car, we do have a lot of blind spots, we take wide and slow turns. I want everyone to go back home safe.

I believe a good thing to look at in this situation would be how many of these fatal crashes are caused by the truck and how many of these fatal crashes are caused by the car. For some reason you never hear this. As a truck driver I believe that if cars were more respectful of these large trucks that there would not be any need for side guards.

As a truck driver, I want our trucks and trailers to be as safe as possible, for everyone out there on the roads!! Justifying that this is too expensive, disappears when your child or family member dies from one of these crashes

Having your close relative in an accident is the worst feeling ever. Last year my sister was involved in an accident. It was the darkest day of my life

I am a truck driver & I always see accidents bt all the time is the 4 wheelers cutting us off & braking checking us, trying to pass us on the side when the lane is ending, we leave space in front for a reason, where at 80,000 lbs we won’t stop as a normal car

Any trailer manufacturer has a golden opportunity to just put the sideguards on for PR without being forced to do so. Let us not forget, however, that the 16 year old at the start of this video was forced into the situation by a truck coming out of his/her lane. Class A myself since 1996 and nobody seems to know how to stay in their own lane nowadays just saying.

The number one problem is that at the end of the day, there is a CEO who wants all the money possible, regardless of the loss of lives; only if their friends/family and/or loved ones are killed in similar circumstances will they change their perspectives.

I've been driving a truck for 15 years and am approaching 2 million non-preventable accident free miles. I add that caveat because I've been involved in 3 accidents (and countless near misses) caused by the cars around me doing dumb s**t. The most recent one had a lady enter the highway I was on and immediately start merging left 4 lanes over before running into the side of my trailer. While looking over her RIGHT shoulder having a conversation with her passengers. Had she been maybe half a second faster she and her pax would've been dead under my trailer. Lucky for her she hit my wheels and destroyed them along with her shi**y car and lived to lie about it to the cops (and get arrested for reckless driving and DUI). And that's just 1 of the 3 wrecks I've been involved in... all with similar levels of dumbassery involved. The bottom line is you can't protect people from their own poor decisions and despite opinions to the contrary the majority of us ARE safe professional drivers trying to get from A to B safely.

When I was in high school there was a road I drove on occasion. One day towards the end of the school year, I was driving with some friends and immediately I noticed all the gorgeous 150 year old oaks that lined the road on both sides had been cut down. Even as a 17 year old kid, I felt bad about that. Later that year I learned a daughter of a county police chief had failed to negotiate a curve and all the “dangerous” trees needed to be removed to keep people safe. Sad how society has to pay for the ignorance of a few. Very few children that started driving after 1980 are taught how to drive like they’re lives depend on their actions.

Thank you for this information. I have made it my mission to check the big trucks here in South Africa. I saw a lot of the trucks with trailers here that have the back and side banners on. Not all of them, and I can see that is a big need. Thank you for your work and this video.

My Grandfather who survived the brutal fighting in the South Pacific against Japan in World War II 1942-1945, was killed on his motorcycle in 1985 when the Semi Truck driver suddenly changed lanes, over an overpass to get on I-64. The Truck was in the right lane, my grandfather was in the left, he had no where to go, he tried to lay the bike down, and the under ride side crash happened when the Motorcycle rolled under the semi truck…. It ran over him crushing him and the motorcycle, rolling over him breaking every bone in his body.

Wow, Rileys story is tragic. So sad. I'm a truck driver, well over a hundred thousand miles each year, the vast majority of accidents between trucks and smaller vehicles are caused by the smaller vehicles. The truck accidents get tons of press, because they're big and there's usually fatalities. There are trucks driving too fast as well, there are distracted truckers for sure, but cars are a bigger problem in my opinion. Every day, without fail, I'm cut off by a smaller vehicle, brake checked, I have cars literally pass me on the shoulder at freeway speeds to gain a second. I've had road rage incidents happen in front of me, and they don't pay attention to me at all. People pass me then immediately pull back in front of my truck, people coming onto freeways have no idea how to merge. They're driving too fast, they are driving distracted, they are on phones or watching movies on their laptops, they cut off everybody, then typically they're gone, after they've caused traffic behind them to slow or stop. Everybody is in a hurry to gain 5 minutes. Fixing trailers needs to happen immediately, but put some blame, and responsibility, and more enforcement, on the smaller vehicles!

Outstanding reporting!

As a truck driver of 31 years, I think they shouldn't load me over 44,000 lbs to go over all these dangerous roads and bridges and long steep down grades but, who am I!

As a 34 year OTR driver (retired) I can personally mention that the industry has gone downhill at a record pace. Glad I’m out of it!

As a paramedic for over 20 years and now a “dangerous truck driver” I hate that any accident happens but there are way more pressing things that need to be regulated and enforced over this. I wish the public could see the number of people the pass me everyday texting or watching something on their phone while driving over the speed limit. We are already regulated to the point that it’s hard to keep up. Why not require over bumpers for every car? Why not regulate every drivers hours of driving and work day. Make everybody pull over and take a mandatory 10 hr break and get a physical every two years to determine if they are safe to drive. Let’s make it equal. My heart goes out to anyone that has lost a loved one to soon, and also to the first responders that have to deal with the tragedies.

When a company refuses to talk with a news reporter about a topic and refuses it means the company is guilty and is hiding the truth.

I'm a over the road truck driver. Too many times a four wheeler has cut in front of me, jammed on the brakes and took the exit on the right. I have had quite a few cut in front of me to get to the red light ahead of me. That space I was calculating between my truck and the stop line was so I could stop safely. Now I have to hard break because this stupid teenager cut in front of me and she is completely clueless as to how close she came to getting crushed. SMH.

As a truck driver 15 minutes in, I'm getting strong Gell-Mann Amnesia effect vibes from this, as well as picking up a subtle "truck drivers are dangerous" subtext. For example, in the example the lawyer used to explain under-run crashes, why was the trucker the one who "ran a stop sign"? The years of computer-vision assisted video recordings have indicated that truckers are far more likely to obey a traffic control device than the motoring public. This could have been framed as a tragic accident, where the truck was already in the intersection as a police car comes around a blind curve. Heck, it could be a collision with a parked and unhooked trailer with no truck involved. Any of those things could paint the picture "trailers need better safety features" without painting the driver as some bloodthirsty maniac...

When I'm driving I stay far away from semi trucks. They can't see you. They're working hard to deliver cargo. The laws of physics will crush you in your dinky puny car if you're too close. So stay away. Like I do.

a big issue that NOBODY talks about is the lack of rest areas / overnight parking for trucks. Especially around the big cities where most deliveries are, if you stop after sunset, there is no parking left for big trucks while the parking area for regular cars is almost empty. it feels like a big middle finger given to truckers. it dosen't even have to be pawed, a dirt lot will do. But while there is money for intricate and spacious parks that nobody uses, there is none for dirt lots so truckers can rest, which IS a safety issue

Thanks for this video I’m a truck driver very informative God bless

What blows my mind is that (in most crashes) people seem to only place the blame on the trucks rear guards..... seemingly forgetting to place blame on the people driving.

I have been driving a truck since 1995 after i left the Army. While all of this is good, it may or may not solve the issue. Andy Young could also stand in front of pictures and say; "speeding, texting, putting on make-up, not paying attention, driving impaired/intoxicated, veered from their lane, brake checked truck, cut-off truck to exit, ran red light, ran stop sign, suspended license, no license." The number of reasons are counless. People don't walk up to a pit-bull and punch it in the mouth, but they will act like their s**t doesn't stink around a semi truck, and that is a far bigger problem. Society has a problem with entitlement, and it shows on the road. I experience it maybe 100 times a day. Everybody has the opinion that they are a "good person" until they get behind the wheel. They then proceed to act like an absolute meat-popcicle with disregard for speed-limits, traffic laws, or common courtesy. Police do not inforce much of anything anymore, because they don't want to lose their job over some Karen turning a violation into a world-wide RU-vid sensation. People; activists, lawyers, and politicians, always come up with some idea that "only costs $$$ per commercial vehicle" and do not realize the compounding cost of these measures. I am not saying safety is not important. I am saying you could make a truck as safe as a cotton ball, and people will still find a way to kill themselves around it. As for the quality of the driver behind the wheel of the semi, that's a sad story itself. Rules and regulations, plus the astronomical cost of operating a truck has run off 80% of the good ones. Think i am exaggerating? Go and try to buy a new truck and trailer. Permit it; insure it, license it, fuel it, maintain it, pay every tax and toll fee known to man on it. Plus, all of the hidden gems that suck profit and see if trucking is something you would like to stick with. All of the same costs are applicable to trucking companies as well, so they hire anyone they can get their hands on to fill a seat and stay in business. Therefore, you have so many "drivers" that have no business being behind the wheel of a semi. They aren't good drivers and never will be. People claim this is an easy job and that anyone can do it with training. That's total bull****. You have to be scientifically minded and an excellent planner. You need knowledge of angles/geometry; inertia, friction, traction, weight distribution, etc. Plus, and most importantly, you need self-control. I have said a lot here. People may or may not agree with everything. The essence of what i am trying to convey is that we can continue to place all of the blame and onus on the truck because of its size. But until the rest of society grows up and acts with some fraction of integrity and professionalism they expect from the truck driver, the problem will only get worse.

My uncle was a truck driver for 20ish years before he switched to working the dock. Soon as I started driving he taught me never EVER ride beside a semi. The tires can blow out and the driver won’t have a clue about it. I always give a wide berth to them, I’ll give way and let them in while in traffic. 90% of the time there doing the speed limit and know the road so I don’t mind to sit there and cruise with a few of them, if they start slowing down I know there’s a reason

When on the freeways, avoid trucks as much as possible and keep a safe distance (much more than most of you do right now) between you and those around you, especially those in front of you. And if at all possible, avoid the freeways because that is where the trucks are. As an example, going from Dallas to El Paso, instead of driving on I-20 westbound, drive US 180; it is only slower by about 30 minutes (the route is actually a bit shorter than the freeway) but it is much more relaxing, having few if any big trucks on it and as an added bonus, there is more to see along the way.

Dashcams are truckers best friends.

This was very eye opening. I had honestly never thought about these kind of crashes

I've been behind the wheel for over 30 years and I'm appalled at how reckless people drive today. Other than some kind of mechanical malfunction EVERY crash is avoidable. We think backwards in this country. Instead of changing bad behaviors we want to fix it so our stupidity won't kill us as much. I guess we'll never learn.

this is beside the point but trailers can be super dangerous even though the drivers who operate them are way more skilled than us regular drivers... i had long-distance experienced trucker as a roommate for a while, best driver i've ever met.. he told me numerous times to avoid trailers, don;t drive behind, besides or in front of them. 10 things can go wrong in 5 seconds; a simple tire explosion can be fatal if a car is close enough... just one tire weights ~100lbs and when even half of that thing travels at highway speeds, it's a deadly projectile

In 1982: My friend was killed when he tried to get a ball from under a parked / moving truck.

As a truck driver. The most dangerous place a car can be is in the blind spots and on the side of a semi. Either pass all the way up or stay behind at a stopping distance in your vehicle.. also the highway merging lane is for vehicles entering the highway to match the speed and flow of existing traffic… STOP DRIVING slow coming on the highway. Yes there are some bad truckers out here, but citizen drivers plays a huge role in Trucker accidents. Let’s all be more careful and mindful of eachother. RIP to all parties involved.

My mother was involved in a accident with a tri axle dump truck. She lost her life. One never knows. Great presentation. Thank you P.B.S.

I remember a documentary on this exact issue 35 years ago. Back then it was associated with an effort to require underride guard on the back of all trailers.

I'm a "career coach" aka a trainer for a large US carrier. And I've failed the last 4 students I've had on my truck for unsafe driving. I'm 28 years old and the students getting on my truck are 21-25 years old and ADDICTED to their cell phones. I've taken videos of them using their phones while driving and have faced immense pressure from my company to look the other way and ignore the dangerous behavior. I have refused and I'm afraid I'm about to be fired for not "playing ball" I was just bribed with a $2,000 bonus on my last paycheck as a "performance bonus" but told by my supervisor to please help the company out and "get these new drivers into there own truck" I'm done with this profession and sickened with the lack of regulation on a federal level. It's abhorrent and gross how easiky the politicians and corporations are willing to gamble with innocent life for profit. I am left feeling disallusioned and ashamed.

Amazing how people always blame someone else for there stupidity...

Very telling documentary. Who's really in control? Seems lobiests are.

This was always one of my biggest worries as a truck driver. Even with all of the mirrors and sensors new trucks have on them, there are still many blind spots and with the aggressiveness of some drivers out there, i was always worried about someone getting caught under my trailer. Some other BIG issues today is people (both truckers and cars) is impatience and most of all CELL PHONES. While OTR i would always see probably 9 out of 10 people driving with a phone in their hands. Glad i left the industry. Too stressful nowadays.

Robot cars will someday make side guards unnecessary... maybe in another 100 years lol

The trucks aren't dangerous. Its the people driving cars around them that are dangerous.

I have a crazy idea! Start running public service announcements illustrating the devastating results of distracted/aggressive driving, because that’s the root cause of the vast majority of the problem. The trucking industry does not want to foot the bill for what is to a very high percentage not their problem.

As a truck driver i admit i only hope to survive 2 more years until i retire . While over 90 percent of truck accidents are caused by cars , government fact , two many truck drivers are becoming just as bad as the car drivers . All i want to do is survive 2 years . I'm constantly cut off by cars . Cars are constantly slamming on their brakes in front of trucks . Cars are driving way to fast while playing on phones not paying attention to traffic . In Orlando i had a guy run a red light and if not for the side skirts on my trailer, preventing him from going under my trailer , he would have murdered his whole family . As a side note my side skirts on the trailer are flexible . The problem with the side guards they show here have clearence issuse on railroad crossings but also at a lot of warehouses with sloped loading docks . The side gaurds aren't the problem but the national highway infrastructure can't accommodate them .

If only four wheelers would have to go to class every two years to renew their license and learn the smith system. It's a defensive course that everyone should learn.

Why is it ALWAYS our fault as a truck driver WHEN THE CAR REAR ENDS US?!?!?!

This is an interesting documentary. My dad was a Nevada Highway Patrolman from the 1980s to the early 00's. I remember him being almost ecstatic that trucking regulations were strengthened in 1998. In 2005 he told me that if he had an accident involving a semi, it was almost ALWAYS fatal... for the other driver.

I remember Jayne Mansfield's death, everyone was horrified at what happened. I'd thought the rear bars that were later put on trucks, would prevent similar. Rather shocked to be seeing this report in 2023 - 56 freaking years later!!!!

Notice how they put all the fault on the trailers. But no blame at all on the car builders to build a stronger cabin to protect those inside of the car

Heart breaking

I will forever be indebted to you you've changed my whole life continue to preach about your name for the world to hear you've saved me from a huge financial debt with just little investment, thanks so much Annmarie Surber

Investigative journalists are heroes.

i drove OTR for 40 years. 3,000,000 miles. Two minor accidents. Both caused by 4 wheeled vehicles. I either failed to hear any reference to mandated operator class re-trains. We get tested annually. We have the DOT inspecting our rigs & our work. I retired after a 4 wheeled vehicle 'brake-checked' me & I hit a guardrail to avoid killing the MF's. You wanna reduce car/truck fatalities? Teach these little bastards how to drive. And retrain them every two years

What you don't mention is the DOT statistic that of the accidents you mentioned 75% of traffic fatalities with semi trucks, are the result of car drivers doing something they arent suppsed to be doing while driving. STOP TELLING ONE SIDE OF THE STORY.

I’m a professional driver, I was involved in a fatality accident when a woman blew a stop sign and pulled out right in front of me. It still pains me to this day even though I wasn’t at fault!

Lesson... Dont cut off and brake check semi trucks and dont camp out beside a semi truck 🤷

Frontline makes the best documentary reports. I come from a family of long haul truckers, aunts and uncles. Another dangerous practice Frontline should look into is companies pushing their drivers & dispatchers running their drivers into exhaustion which is dangerous and causes fatal crashes too. Drivers are always under pressure to get their loads to their destination on time no matter at what costs. A lot of carriers switched to electric log books, but the drivers who still use handwritten log books they cheat and doctor their log so it appears they don't go over their 10 hour driving window which is federal law. 10 hours on after being 11 hours off with a break in between. 10 hours also counts even if you get delayed at a shipper. That puts you under even more pressure to get to your destination within that 10 hour window. You'll be amazed at how many drivers fall asleep behind the wheel or fatigue causes accidents.

Never play games around big rigs, the few seconds you think you will save will end ones life.

My cousin's 2 children were killed in 1994 and I believe it was an underride crash. My heart still breaks.

Welcome to the USA! The richest country in the world with the wealthiest companies cannot shell out a fraction of their revenue to save lives. Incredible.

This story is a perfect example of what is wrong with our government and how it sells out to special interests. if the industry would spend the money on doing the right thing, it would be less expensive for them than paying off the politicians and the lawsuits. The love of money over LIFE. is the root of all evil.

The other problem with side guards is that some customers have different incline levels and the side guards would not let them back up to certain docks. Also tandem axles have to move forward or backwards depending on the load to get the weight right for DOT. As you can see it’s not as simple as putting sidegaurds up on trailers. Some customers would have to rebuild docks all over the US.