In reading the paper lately I’ve noticed quite a few tractor trailer accidents and it got me thinking on the statistics in Oklahoma for semi accidents. So of course I went to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s website and went and looked at RITA. What is RITA? The acronym RITA stands for “The Research and Innovative Technology Administration” and RITA essentially coordinates the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) research programs and is charged with advancing the deployment of cross-cutting technologies to improve our Nation’s transportation system. So from there, I ventured to RITA’s bureau of transportation statistics and found the following information for 2005. As you can see from the chart below, an amazing 10% of deaths in Oklahoma are due to large trucks/Semis/tractor trailers. In 2005 there were 111 deaths in Oklahoma relating to semi accidents. So when you see these big rigs traveling down our corridors, pay special to the big rigs because an accident with a semi will likely leave you or a loved one dead.