February 2021, Compelling new video: A Timeline of Underride Safety
March 2024, Timeline of Underride Research, Reports, & Advocacy
Jerry Karth, Lois Durso, and I recently compiled this extensive list of U.S. underride research, reports, and recommendations beginning in 1896 and continuing to this day. I think that it speaks for itself: effective and comprehensive underride protection is long-overdue. This list is referred to in a recent post on this topic. (Post updated: 1/10/2020)
1896 This patent for a side underride protective device for street cars was issued on July 14 1896 and cited by numerous more recent underride patents: http://www.google.com.pg/patents/US564027.
1913 A patent was issued in 1913 for a “Safety Device for Motor Vehicles” to provide underride protection for the sides of large trucks. https://www.google.com/patents/US1127241
Since that time, numerous patents have been published which refer to this 1913 patent (with the patent information organized in these columns: Citing Patent, Filing date, Publication date, Applicant, Title):
- These can now be found in a post dedicated to listing UNDERRIDE GUARD PATENTS. To see this list, go here. (1/20/20)
1935 H.H. Robinson was granted a patent for a Guard System for Tractor Trailer Combinations.
1969 DOT published a document for rear underride proposed rulemaking on the Federal Register on March 19, 1969, indicating that they “anticipated that the proposed Standard will be amended, after technical studies have been completed, to extend the requirement for underride protection to the sides of large vehicles.” https://annaleahmary.com/2016/03/side-guards-the-original-intent-of-nhtsa-rulemakers-in-the-1969-nprm-docket-no-1-11-notice-2/
1969 On September 3, 1969, Congress discussed UNDERRIDE but did not act. U.S. Congressman Vanik from Ohio was given the floor. He made a lengthy statement, with noteworthy comments about underride protection, including the inadequacy of the proposed regulation for rear underride and the absence of regulations for smaller straight trucks, as well as protection on the sides and front of trucks. How many more people will die before Congress lays down the law? Read more here.
1970 August 14, 1970, In the Federal Register, “Further consideration will be given, after issuance of the standard and completion of technical studies, to the inclusion of energy management of underride protection to the sides of large vehicles.” NHSB 1970 35 FR 12956
1971 June 15, 1971, In the Federal Register, “Notices proposing a motor vehicle safety standard on rear underride protection, applicable to trucks and trailers, were published October 14, 1967 (32 F.R. 14278), March 19, 1969 (34 F.R. 5383), and August 14, 1970 (35 F.R. 12956). Based upon the information received in response to the notices and evaluations of cost and accident data, the Administration has concluded that, at the present time, the safety benefits achievable in terms of lives and injuries saved would not be commensurate with the cost of implementing the proposed requirements. For the information of all interested persons, notice is hereby given that the rulemaking action is terminated, and that no final rule will be issued on this subject without further notice of proposed rulemaking.” NHTSA 1971 36 FR 11750
1977 Page Patent guard rail for side protection on large wheel vehicles, 1977 US Side Guard Patent US4060268 William Page.pdf
1977 An Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) crash test research illustrates the ineffectiveness of 1953 rear underride guard.
1977 A Senate hearing leads to new calls for stronger underride protections, and illustrates the inadequacies of existing requirements.
1977 March Historically a Momentous Month for Truck Underride Safety Advocacy; Beware the Ides of March!
1979 September 24, 1979, In the Federal Register, “The agency will continue to gather information on side underride during the rear underride rulemaking. If the evidence gathered by the agency indicates that side underride rulemaking could contribute significantly to safety, the agency will commence rulemaking. At the present, however, the agency concludes that side underride rulemaking should not be commenced and Mr. Page’s petition is denied.” NHTSA 1979 44 FR 55077
1981 January 8, 1981, the Federal Register published proposed rear underride rulemaking which was not completed, “The purpose of this standard is to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries occurring in rear underride accidents that involve heavy vehicles. Applicability. This standard applies to trucks and trailers that have gross vehicle weight ratings (GVWR’s) greater than 10,000 pounds.” NHTSA 1981_46 FR 2136
1989 IIHS calls for Front Guards on Trucks to protect motorists: IIHS Status Report on Front Underride Protection August 26 1989
1992 IIHS Status Report on undercounted underride deaths: SR death count too low
1996 Volvo began manufacturing trucks with Front Underrun Protection in 1996 in Europe. This is a patent filed in 2007 for an “Underrun protector and method of providing underrun protection.” http://www.google.sr/patents/WO2008002242A1?cl=en Other relevant information on front underrun protection can be found here: https://annaleahmary.com/tag/front-underrun-protection/
Front Underride Protection Brochure 6
1997 Study illustrates the discrepancies in The Fatal Accident Reporting System (FARS) underride fatality count when compared to the NHTSA database, highlighting that more people are dying from underride than are being recorded. INCIDE~1
2002 ATA Technology Maintenance Council predicts underride regulations to be issued by 2005 for Single Unit Trucks and 2006 for Side and Front Underride Protection: 2002 ATA Prediction of Side Guard Regulations
2009 IIHS begins to call for the requirement of front and side underride guards, as well as improved rear guard requirements in its testimony to US House Committee on Energy and Commerce. IIHS testimony_2009-05-18
2009 Letter from IIHS to NHTSA IIHS rear comment_2009-07-01, “In many crashes involving large trucks, NASS/CDS lacks both proper identification of truck types and photographs of involved trucks. Photographs help researchers in two ways — to better understand the injuries sustained by passenger vehicle occupants in collisions with trucks and to evaluate potential countermeasures such as rear underride guards on trucks. IIHS understands that many NASS/CDS investigations take place away from crash scenes. We further understand that large trucks that are drivable after crashes may not be kept in storage awaiting NASS/CDS investigators. Still, investigators should work with local law enforcement agencies to obtain photographs of large trucks taken at crash scenes.”
2009 Patent filed for a “Side impact guard device for industrial vehicles, particularly trailers or semi-trailers”
| US7967349 | Apr 7, 2009 | Jun 28, 2011 | C.R.F. Societa Consortile Per Azioni | Side impact guard device for industrial vehicles, particularly trailers or semi-trailers |
2010 An evaluation of U.S. rear underride guards meeting federal requirements shows that these protections still allow for severe passenger vehicle underride, often resulting in serious or fatal injury. file:///C:/Users/LD46500/Downloads/22esv-000074.pdf
2011 IIHS crash test study demonstrates that federal underride safety standards can fail in relatively low-speed crashes. http://www.iihs.org/iihs/sr/statusreport/article/46/2/1
2012 Sapa Extrusions (inventor/engineer Malcolm Deighton) filed for a patent in 2012 for a “Semi trailer under-run protection device” which they later developed into a rear underride guard which was successfully crash tested on a trailer in April 2017. https://www.google.com/patents/USD703106
2013 New crash test study shows how underride guards on most heavy trucks fail to prevent underride and result in serious injury or fatality. Underride guards on big rigs can be lifesavers, but most leave passenger vehicle occupants at risk in certain crashes, IIHS Status Report, March 14, 2013
2014 NTSB underride safety recommendations: NTSB Truck Underride Safety Recommendations to NHTSA
2014 IIHS Status Report on ongoing rear underride guards research: IIHS Underride Status Report, October 2014
2015 NTSB recommends that regulators develop performance standards for side and front underride protection systems to improve highway vehicle crash compatibility with passenger vehicles. https://www.ntsb.gov/safety/mwl/Pages/mwl9_2015.aspx
2015 NHTSA issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on: ANPRM Single Unit Trucks (withdrawn for not being cost effective) and NPRM improved rear underride guards (still in limbo as of 1/10/2020).
2015 Aaron Kiefer, crash reconstructionist and forensic engineer, was issued a patent for an innovative combination side & rear trailer underride protection system: https://www.google.com/patents/US9463759 Please see the numerous underride patents referred to in this patent.
2015 This patent for a Trailer rear impact guard cites numerous other underride protection patents: https://www.google.com/patents/USD790407
2016 First Underride Roundtable held at IHHS, May 5, 2016
2016 Stephen Batzer and Patrick Rogers granted a patent for an Adjustable side under-ride guard for sliding axle trailer, May 31, 2016.
2016 IIHS created an Underride Timeline for presentation at the First Underride Roundtable: 
2016 NHTSA issued a grant to Texas A & M Transportation Institute for computer modeling research on side underride protection. http://www.wusa9.com/news/investigations/truck-trailer-rear-guard-rules-have-huge-holes-safety-experts-say/457353893
2016 Aaron Kiefer granted TrailerGuard system underride protection patent, October 11, 2016.
2016 Stephen Batzer and Patrick Rogers granted a patent for a Telescoping side under-ride guard for sliding axle trailer, November 8, 2016.
2017 Seven Hills Engineering, Perry Ponder inventor of AngelWing side guard Underride Protection successfully crash tested at 35 MPH by IIHS on 3/30/2017 and 40 MPH on 8/29/2017. Patent Pending http://www.7he.us and http://airflowdeflector.com/airflow-2/
2017 Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety urges DOT to put forth a federal mandate on side underride guards. http://saferoads.org/2017/05/10/advocates-statement-on-need-for-strong-truck-side-underride-guards/
2017 NBC Today Show Link/Story https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/side-underride-crashes-kill-200-people-year-will-congress-act-n711721
2017 IIHS TOUGHGuard Award Announced for improved rear underride guard design by trailer manufacturers, March 1, 2017
2017 IIHS tests side underride guards at 35 mph, and illustrates the dramatic impact side guards have in preventing serious injury and death. IIHS Announces Side Guard Crash Testing Results :
2017 DOE has issued grants for a Super Truck project which has included side skirts for fuel efficiency but not for safety. https://annaleahmary.com/2017/02/perfect-opportunity-to-transform-supertruck-into-an-esv-to-advance-underride-protection-dot-doe/
2017 Second Underride Roundtable held at IIHS, August 29, 2017
2017 AngelWing side guard successfully tested at Roundtable at 40 mph:
2017 SAPA (Hydro Extrusions) publishes results of 40 mph crash test of a Rear Impact (Underride) Guard: Sapa 40-30 RIG Test Engineering Report Version 1.3
2017 Wabash Trailers announced a prototype side guard, September 29, 2017.
2017 The STOP Underrides Act of 2017 was introduced on December 12, 2017, as bipartisan/bicameral life-saving legislation.
2018 CRS Analysis of STOP Underrides Bill. CRS Analysis of S.2219 STOP Underrides Bill
2018 Texas A&M Side Guard Study (conducted with a grant from NHTSA): Computer Modeling and Evaluation Of Side Underride Protective Device Designs
2018 IIHS Announces 8 trailer manufacturers earned TOUGHGuard Award:
2018 The AngelWing side guard was successfully tested at 47.2 mph by its inventor, Perry Ponder of Seven Hills Engineering:
2019 The STOP Underrides Bill was reintroduced on March 5, 2019.
2019 FMCSA Volpe Transportation Center Study Final Report Completed by February 2019 but not available publicly (as of 1/10/2020). Goals include — Despite three decades of international experience, the operational, cost-benefit, and regulatory aspects of requiring truck side guards in the United States has not been studied. This research project addresses this gap. Five key tasks are included in this project: (1) study interaction of a potential side guard with other truck parts and accessories (e.g., fuel tanks, fire extinguisher, exhaust system) and the implications for a new Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulation; (2) investigate applicable international side guard standards; (3) perform a preliminary cost-benefit analysis of truck side guard deployment; (4) propose recommendations; and (5) propose means for voluntary adoption.: Study of Truck Side Guards to Reduce Pedestrian Fatalities
2019 Test run of Aaron Kiefer’s SafetySkirt: Video Feb 24, 2 24 45 PM
2019 GAO Truck Underride Report
2019 D.C. Underride Crash Test Event held on March 26, 2019
2019 Vanguard Trailers granted application for strap side guard patent, June 20, 2019.
2019 Underride Issue & Legislation discussed at the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Hearing on June 12, 2019 on The State of Trucking In America
2019 August 23, 2019: Jury Verdict $42 million in Riley Hein Side Underride Case: Found the Trailer Manufacturer Negligent In August, a New Mexico jury found a trailer manufacturer “negligent” in a side underride fatality. “The family hopes the verdict ‘sends a message’ to the truck-trailer industry to take measures to prevent underride crashes.” Read more here. (TTMA Joint Defense Agreement)
2019 Fortier Side protection device for a vehicle, related kit and vehicle provided with the same, Patent No.: US 10,343, 636 B2. Canada.
2019 Basics of Underride problem & solutions presented at North Carolina Vision Zero Traffic Safety Conference:
2020 Underride Staff Briefing, August 19, 2020:
On August 19, we hosted another Underride Staff Briefing — this time via Zoom. We are providing Congressional Offices with the PowerPoint pdf from that presentation, including comments from engineers with expertise in underride as well as underride families: Underride Briefing PowerPoint pdf (inc. links to resources & video)
2020
- Crash Tests of Rear Underride Guard Reinforcement Attachments, 2016 & 2020
- Comparison Chart of Underride Provisions in Various Bills
2021 Protecting Passenger Vehicles from Side Underride with Heavy Trucks: The results can support the development of side underride protection recommended practices. Published by SAE International
2021 Patent for an Underride Guard Assembly for Trailers from Great Dane Trailers was published on October 7, 2021.
2022 SIDE UNDERRIDE GUARD ASSEMBLY FOR A TRAILER, Fontaine Commercial Trailer, Inc. patent for a side underride guard on flatbed trailers.
2023 Utility Trailer Manufacturing, side guard patent, July 4, 2023
2023 Great Dane Trailers, side guard patent, August 29, 2023
Examples of some of the thousands of underride crashes can be found at these two places online (neither of them being the least bit exhaustive compilations):
- #STOPunderrides!
- Underride Crash Memorials
- FARS underride data by crash year and state (inaccurate & undercounted data): Underride Fatality Data from FARS by State; PVEH_LRGTRK_UNDERRIDE_FATS_STATE_2015B; PVEH_LRGTRK_UNDERRIDE_FATS_2017
This is excellent safety work!