Driving next to a tractor trailer or other massive commercial truck can easily make a driver in Minnesota in a standard passenger vehicle feel not only dwarfed but also quite vulnerable. If you have ever experienced this, you are far from alone and you are right to be aware of the potential danger that exists when cars, pickup trucks and other automobiles collide with these big rigs. A look at some statistics show just how many people die in these types of crashes each year.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 61 lives lost in large truck accidents in Minnesota in 2016 alone. Looking at the five years spanning 2012 to 2016, a big jump from 60 deaths in 2012 to 75 deaths in 2013 was noted. While the number of fatalities has reduced after that, there have still been a total of 326 people killed in those five years across the state.
Hennepin County led the region in truck deaths during this period. Overall the county experienced far and away more of these deaths than did any of its neighboring counties with a total of 22 people dying. The three counties with the closest number of deaths to Hennepin County were Dakota, Anoka and Scott Counties where 11, 10 and nine deaths were recorded. Among Carver, Wright, Sherburne and Ramsey Counties, a total of 15 people were killed.
This information is not intended to provide legal advice but is instead meant to give Minnesota residents an idea of how many people are killed every year in accidents involving semi trucks or other large commercial vehicles.