On May 5, 2016, over 65 representatives from the trucking industry, government, safety advocates, engineers, crash reconstructionists, attorneys, and media will be on hand at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Vehicle Research Center to discuss and demonstrate truck underride crashes.

In addition, the Underride Roundtable, which will be taking place from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., will be available to watch via livestreaming–with viewer interaction anticipated. The webcast link will be provided here when it is available.

Webcast Link to the Underride Roundtable is now ready for registration for this upcoming event! Webcast Link for Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Underride Roundtable

Underride Roundtable Agenda May 5, 2016

Vision Zero Petition Book 3rd Edition

Truck Underride Roundtable is one week away! May it be sehr gut!

In order to prepare for that, I am going to highlight some past and current underride research papers and efforts here. It will, of course, not cover everything and others are welcome to send additional information my way, which I would be more than happy to add to the list.

Although most of the research below will not appear as a presentation on the agenda, I am hopeful that the information will be considered by all as recommendations for underride protection are discussed and proposed.

I had actually wanted to put together a packet of this kind of information to hand out to participants. Then I thought that it might be more useful to provide it to a wider audience by posting it on our website. So here it is.

In addition, I have prepared a feedback form to enable you to let me know what you think should be done about truck underride protection.  I am hoping to get a good response and will compile any results which I receive before the Underride Roundtable, as well as after the event.

Please print my Dragon Underride Protector Wish List, fill in your answers, scan it, and email it to me at marianne@annaleahmary.com.

Although I don’t know all the names and details, I imagine that there are countless individuals and organizations who have contributed, over a span of many years, to the discussion and development of underride protection. I am thankful that we can build upon that foundation.

Here is some of the research which I have come across in my search for the best possible protection.

Update, May 21, 2016: Other Research Not Listed Below: See this post, Other Research Which Should Not Be Ignored in Current Underride Rulemaking

Australian Underride Research:

1. Truck Underride Prevention Research Too Long Neglected; How Long Will This Highway Carnage Continue?, includes crash test video footage & links to research papers/reports
2. Good news from Australia: A Stronger Rear Underride Guard Rule Has Been Proposed!
3. Australian engineers champion the cause of better truck underride protection
4. The Future of Underride Prevention: A conversation with underride researcher from Australia
5. Under-runRaphCommittee
6. Side Underride Paper Rechnitzer and Grzebieta
7. Side Underrun Barriers Rechnitzer & Grzetieta

Virginia Tech Senior Underride Design Team:

1. Hurrah! VA Tech Sr. Dream Team has attached their underride guard to a trailer!
2. Virginia Tech Senior Underride Design Team Spring Midterm Report
3. Virginia Tech Senior Design Project is Addressing the Need for Stronger Underride Guards; Mid-Semester Progress Report
4. Senior Underride Design Project Mid-Year Report Presented by Virginia Tech Students
5. Here is your chance to help the Virginia Tech Student Design Team build a life-saving underride guard!

Aaron Kiefer (North Carolina) Innovative Side/Rear Underride Research:

1. Innovative combined side & rear guard promises better underride protection
2. Imagine a truck UNDERRIDE GUARD which provides REAR & SIDE protection.
3. Needed for an Underride Crash Test: Beat-up 53′ Box Trailer & a Chevy Malibu
4. Witnessed safety defect in action at underride crash tests; this is what snuffed out my daughters’ lives.
5. Innovative Side & Rear Underride Guard Crash Test crash test video, April 30, 2016

German Researchers:

1. Detlef Alwes:                     Flyer Truck RUP 2015_fb1 Detlef Alwe    Detlef Alwes Underrun Protection System Presentation1_2016 (1) & Detlef Alwes aus Bad Honnef entwickelte Unterfahrschutz (go here to get this translated: German to English Translation)
2. Andreas Ratzek, ADAC, Munchen, Germany:                                                                      Youtube video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mplKzl57uq4                                  Position Papers: ADAC Underrun Protection Position Paper _Unterfahrschutz_EN_12_12_04  and  ADAC Underrun Protection Standpunkt Heckunterfahrschutz_EN

34 Public Comments on the current NHTSA Rear Underride Rulemaking can be found here: NPRM Upgrade Underide.

73 Public Comments on the current ANPRM for Single Unit Trucks: ANPRM Underride Protection of Single Unit Trucks

Please note this comment in particular: Perry Ponder, Seven Hills Engineering, Comment from Seven Hills Engineering, LLC with reference to a 1969 DOT document indicating their intention to extend underride protection to the sides of large vehicles: Regulators, manufacturers, & advocates need to read this engineer’s comment on truck underride

Also, note that Seven Hills sponsored a Senior Capstone Project at FSU College of Engineering in 2010/11 to design a side guard: Side Underride Guard w/ Aerodynamic Fairing – Senior Design Fall 2010—Spring 2011

Other:

1. Dean Sicking & Kevin Schrum have submitted a proposal for underride research & design based on technology which could provide underride protection in extreme crash conditions:     Development of Trailer Underride Preventive Measures and AnnaLeah & Mary for Truck Safety is excited to begin raising money to support NASCAR’s safety hero, Dean Sicking, research for SAFER Truck Underride Guards. and Unexpected Visit With a Hopeful Underride Research Engineer
2. Wabash National has designed a stronger rear underride guard: Thank you, Wabash, for creating a safer truck rear underride guard! And Stoughton will be having their new guard crash tested at the Roundtable. And Manac has already had theirs tested: The Best Possible Protection.
3. Bruce Enz, Injury & Crash Analysis (Indiana), Injury & Crash Analysis Underride Research
4. Trucker, Jeff Halling recommends keeping in mind the docking requirements: https://www.facebook.com/groups/494507530713925/permalink/628529627311714/
5. Andy Young, truck litigation attorney, truck owner, Piercing the Passenger Compartment–Voluntary Efforts to Stop the Horrors of Underride Truck Crashes and Andy Young-BIO and UNDERRIDE TRUCK CRASHES – WORSE THAN HITTING A BRICK WALL Andy Young
6. Airflow Deflector will be participating in the Roundtable and I will look forward to finding out more about their side underride protection, particularly for City Trucks to protect Vulnerable Road Users: Airflow Deflector; Airflow Deflector Video and Truck Side Guards for Vision Zero – NYC
7. Underride Network, I have become aware of many researchers through information made available on the Underride Network website. Stephen Hadley, manager of this website: Underride Network want list for topics at IIHS Underride Roundtable
8. Byron Bloch has shared with us from his vast experience with truck underride: IMPROVED CRASHWORTHY DESIGNS FOR TRUCK UNDERRIDE GUARDS & Let’s Move From: “A Failure of Compassion, & Tactics of Conceal-­‐Delay-­‐Deny While Fiery Crashes Occur” to a “Vision of Zero Fatalities”
9. Jerry Karth‘s Public Comments on the underride rulemaking: Comment from Jerry Karth and Public Comment on the NPRM for Rear Underride Guards on Trailers by Jerry Karth pdf
10. My comment on the Single Unit Truck ANPRM: Marianne Karth – Comment and March Historically a Momentous Month for Truck Underride Safety Advocacy 2 and Truck Underride A Practical Application of a Vision Zero Goal Marianne Karth Public Comment
11. Large Truck Crash Study, Matthew Brumbelow, IIHS: CRASH TEST PERFORMANCE OF LARGE TRUCK REAR UNDERRIDE GUARDS
12. IIHS Large Truck Status Report Articles: Large trucks About 1 in 10 highway deaths occurs in a crash involving a large truck.
13. Much, much more can be found about truck underride at our website: Underride Guards Page and Underride Guards Posts on annaleahmary.com

And last, but not least, out of the mouths of babes. . .

NOTE: I will likely be updating this post as we get closer to the Underride Roundtable on May 5, 2016!  And, of course, I can hardly wait to post the results of the Roundtable itself!

 

In memory of AnnaLeah & Mary, Precious Ones whose lives were cut far too short.