The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) is raising awareness to help improve road safety by participating in Our Roads, Our Safety Week from May 18-24, 2025.
Road Safety is everybody’s responsibility – passenger vehicle drivers, truck drivers, bus drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians. Our Road, Our Safety is a national safety campaign that is dedicated to educating road users how to share the road safely with large trucks and buses.
A truck is defined as a vehicle heavier than a light truck or SUV, including delivery truck, 18-wheeler, tow truck, dually or work truck. In the state of Alabama, truck crashes continue to rise year after year.
According to the Alabama Crash Facts, there were 10,210 crashes involving a truck. That is the fifth time in the last decade that there were more than 10,000 truck crashes, and third year in a row.
Overall, there were 134 fatalities and 2,590 injuries sustained during those crashes.
Trucks and buses are more difficult to maneuver, have massive blind spots and take longer to stop than regular vehicles. Being aware of those differences can help keep everybody on the road safe.
Here are a few size differences to keep in mind:
- Trucks are often 20-30 times heavier than passenger vehicles
- The mass of a truck or bus increases the risk of more sever crash damage
- Large size and weight alter acceleration, braking and handling
- Trucks and buses accelerate more slowly uphill and may gain speed downhill
- Tall vehicles have a higher center or gravity and roll over easier than small vehicles
- Large vehicles generate wind gusts that can push smaller vehicles into other lanes
The more that is understood about each other’s road experience, the safer the roads are for everyone. The Our Road, Our Safety campaign provides unique points of view across the full range of road users.
