Pickup trucks have changed over the years. Modern versions are significantly oversized compared to even full-sized vehicles from a few decades ago. Pickup trucks are both taller and wider than they used to be.
This size makes them very dangerous on the roads for a number of reasons, one of which is that they have significant blind spots. Say that a truck was stopped at an intersection to make a right turn and a child was in the crosswalk, just trying to get to the other side of the street. With an oversized pickup truck, the driver may not see the child even though they are directly in front of the vehicle. The child may be completely hidden by the hood, something the driver doesn’t even know until the moment of impact.
These blind spots can also be an issue on the highway. A driver may be less likely to see a motorcycle as they change lanes on the interstate, for example. When the vehicle itself prevents the driver from being able to see, the odds of an accident go up dramatically.
Compounding the issue
To make this issue even worse, the height and weight of a vehicle contribute to the severity of injuries in that accident. Specifically, those in smaller vehicles are more likely to be injured. So not only are these oversized trucks more likely to cause collisions, but they are also more likely to injure the people that they hit.
Unfortunately, it seems that trucks are only getting larger and this trend may not reverse course very soon. Those who suffer serious injuries in accidents caused by these vehicles need to know how to seek financial compensation from the responsible driver.