According to National Safety Council statistics, 392 people died as a result of truck accidents in California in 2023, making it the second most deadly state for big rig crashes in the US. As summer wears on in the Golden State, news of such crashes has piled up. Fatal collisions in Yuba City, Merced, and Fresno County have recently drawn attention to the dangers of long-haul driving and the devastating consequences of truck accidents.

With nearly 150,000 large truck accidents happening on American roads every year, it’s clear that semi crashes are a major threat to driver safety. The Department of Transportation estimates that 148,046 large truck accidents occurred in the U.S. in 2024 alone, leaving 4,261 dead and another 70,734 injured. In order to prevent future fatalities, it’s crucial to understand how these accidents happen in the first place. Here are five common causes of truck accidents and what you can do if you’re involved in one.