Monthly Archives: April 2020

In Memory of Alex Wolf

Safety Advocacy, Truck Safety,

Alex [Wolf] was killed last week when his bike was hit by a semi during a turn near 12 Street and Linden Avenue in Minneapolis. Police are still investigating the crash. https://www.kare11.com/article/news/father-mourns-son-killed-in-bicycle-accident/89-85b48940-f255-43a7-842b-3878e8981a0f

MPD investigating deadly crash involving a bicyclist: https://www.kare11.com/article/traffic/mpd-investigating-fatal-crash-involving-a-bicyclist/89-4870b647-4b53-42c2-bfea-869fe10c6e39

Advocates form “Human Wall” to call for bike safety: https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/advocates-form-human-wall-to-call-for-bike-safety/89-13e4cf03-c1e8-4d45-a13b-8c7f505e4f2d

See more underride tragedies at Underride Crash Memorials.To add more information on this story or to add other underride crashes to be remembered, send an email to underridemap@gmail.com. Please use this Interactive Underride Crash Map Crash Location Input Form to provide us with accurate information . (Note: the map is currently not online; but we would keep the information for future updating.)

All this talk of side skirts for fuel savings & not one word about side guards for life saving!

Safety Advocacy, Truck Safety, , , , ,

A recent article from Transport Topics caught my eye. It’s all about this & that concerning side skirts on trailers (for fuel savings). Lots for a trailer buyer to consider when making a decision.

Installing the complete system takes 2.5 man-hours, he said.

Wikipedia has to say this about cost: As of 2009, a set of trailer skirts cost between C$1500 and C$3000 (US$1300 to $2700). Standard trailer skirts have an estimated payback period of ten to eighteen months, while “advanced” skirts (those that improve fuel efficiency by over 7%) are estimated to pay for themselves in seven to fourteen months.

Seriously?! An AngelWing side guard can be installed in close to that amount of time. And if side guards were socially acceptable and widely embraced so that they readily available to purchase (you know how supply and demand works, right?), the price could quite likely be comparable. Plus side guards may enhance fuel savings when used with side skirts.

So why the fuss from the industry about the cost of LIFE-SAVING side guards!?

Read the whole article for yourself and tell me why there is such resistance to installing comprehensive and effective underride protection and outright opposition toward a mandate which would require it.