The Georgia Department of Public Safety (DPS) recently took to Facebook to point out what is common knowledge in the trucking industry — that motorists are often the ones at fault in car vs. truck crashes.
The January 1 Facebook post from the Georgia DPS reads:
It’s not always the CMVs fault in a crash. This passenger car was traveling too fast for conditions, hydroplaned and crashed into the CMV. It’s very wet in north and central Georgia, slow down. #gamccd#gsp
Several social media commenters pointed out that car drivers are often the more likely instigators of crashes than truckers.
A landmark 2012 study released by the American Trucking Associations (ATA) found that the vast majority of car vs. truck crashes were caused by motorists, not professional truck drivers. “Car drivers were assigned factors in 81% of crashes versus 27% of truck drivers,” the study found.