Semi Truck Crash Tests Are Terrifyingly Satisfying To Watch

Slow motion crash test footage is one of the most satisfying genres of video on the internet, in my opinion. There's just something about the painstakingly slow destruction of a pristine car that sets my mind at ease and quells any concerns I may have about fellow road users. But bigger is always better, right, so imagine how satisfying semi truck crash tests could be.

In the development of new tractor trailers, manufacturers put their big rigs through similar tests to those that a new car would be subject to. There are emission checks to carry out, reliability tests and crash tests to ensure the occupants and other road users are safe should the worst case scenario arise.

To do this, manufacturers like Volvo, Scania and other semi truck makers crash test their vehicles before putting them on sale, and the slow-motion footage of these tests is terrifyingly satisfying to watch.

The semi truck crash tests are much the same as the safety tests carried out on regular cars. There are head-on collision tests, side-impact tests and rollover tests, which are all similar to what your daily driver was once subject to. In addition, some manufacturers perform additional checks on the cabs that simulate a strike from a fully-loaded trailer.

Volvo shared footage of its testing regimen recently, as part of the development of its latest electric heavy hauler. The tests were designed to "simulate crashes from real traffic situations," the automaker explained in the film.

Through its tests, the automaker simulated a passenger vehicle colliding with the truck's battery packs as well as a collision with the rear of another truck. In this instance, the footage captured the way the cab moves over the top of the heavy battery pack to help dissipate some of the momentum. Scania also runs tests to see how the gas tanks on its trucks would hold up in a crash, as well as rollover tests to ensure the safety of anybody onboard.

Scania, Volvo and other truck makers test their trucks in a range of crashes at speeds of between 30 mph and 50 mph to see how they will protect drivers and other road users. Tests like these are carried out by the manufacturers themselves, in most instances.

Here in the U.S., the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) also tests the trailers that semi trucks tow. In these cases, it's to ensure the safety of passenger cars that could hit the rear or side of the trailers, which is an all-too common incident on America's roads. Tests carried out by the IIHS test the underride protection on trailers, which is designed to stop passenger cars from going under the body of the trailer. It includes barriers at the rear and side of the trailers, which are mandated on roads in Europe but America currently only requires rear protection.

If this whet your appetite for more soothing destruction, head here to see how the Cybertruck fared in its first crash test, or here to watch a Maybach crash test in the name of billionaire safety.