Monthly Archives: June 2021

In Memory of Emery Wren (June 27, 2021)

Underride Crash Map, , ,

. . .the driver of an 18-wheeler—Narinder Kumar, of New York—was traveling west on the interstate when he saw traffic stopped. He told police he was unable to stop in time to avoid a collision.

The rig hit the rear of a Toyota Highlander, causing it to overturn. The driver, Michelle Wren, was injured along with her three children. Her 4-year-old daughter, Emery, later died at a nearby hospital. Franklin child dies in 9-car pileup on I-24 in Kentucky, nine others hurt

Because the bottom of a truck is higher than the bumper of passenger vehicles, when there is a collision the smaller vehicle easily slides under the truck and the first point of impact is the windshield. Seatbelts, airbags, and car crumple zones do not function as intended in underride crashes —front, side, and rear — leaving passenger vehicle occupants vulnerable to life-threatening injuries.

Emery Wren, Precious One Gone Too Soon

See Underride Crash Memorials posted here and at #STOPunderrides Tweets. To add photos or 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 and to aid in underride advocacy efforts.)

Support improving Underride Protection on trailers: Contact your legislators with this User-Friendly TAKE ACTION online tool.

How You Can Help

Please sign this petition: Congress, Act Now To End Deadly Truck Underrides.

Note: In order to raise awareness and preserve the memories of underride victims — precious ones gone too soon — I have been writing memorial posts on what appear to me to be underride crashes. I am not a crash reconstructionist, and I do not have all the facts on these crashes; but I think that underride should be investigated as a potential factor in truck crash injuries and deaths.

Global Harmonization Of Motor Vehicle Safety Standards Could Be On The Horizon

Safety Advocacy, Truck Safety, , ,

I was so pleased to discover the Section on Global Harmonization in the Surface Transportation Investment Act introduced by the Senate Commerce Committee yesterday. I reached out to Secretary Buttigieg and let him know that we are counting on him to proactively take steps to advance traffic safety worldwide, as is clearly the intent of Congress.

SEC. 4211. GLOBAL HARMONIZATION. The Secretary shall cooperate, to the maximum extent practicable, with foreign governments, nongovernmental stakeholder groups, the motor vehicle industry, and consumer groups with respect to global harmonization of vehicle regulations as a means for improving motor vehicle safety.

Global Harmonization Commerce Bill 2021

Underride protection technology, by itself, provides a straightforward example of a practical means to pursue this kind of collaboration which can put us on a fast track to attain zero road deaths and catastrophic injuries due to preventable truck underride. Already we have brought together an international group of engineers to discuss and endorse comprehensive underride protection which could be implemented/mandated in the U.S., including:

In addition to the benefit to U.S. Road Users, the rear standard could help to strengthen standards globally, as would the side guard standard. Additionally, by following the lead in other countries, the U.S. could apply underride standards to Single Unit Trucks as well as tractor-trailers.

We are urging Secretary Buttigieg: Act now, in this one area, by establishing the Advisory Committee On Underride Protection — and include international participants. Move ahead immediately with Global Harmonization of Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.

Petition to Secretary Buttigieg for Underride Rulemaking

Team Underride at the D.C. Underride Crash Test Event, 3/26/19

Underride Included in Senate Bipartisan Surface Reauthorization Bill Introduced Today

Safety Advocacy, Truck Safety, , , ,

GOOD NEWS: The Senate Commerce Committee just released the text of their Infrastructure Bill today.

It has an Underride Section which is very similar to the House T&I Committee’s Bill — not the full STOP Underrides Bill because it leaves out Front Underride Protection and Single Unit Trucks and doesn’t mandate side guards, only says to do research and develop a standard, if warranted.

But it is definitely more than we’ve ever had and we’re hoping that DOT is already motivated to take action. However, if you have been following the Infrastructure Bill in the news, nobody knows how it is going to be paid for — and that could hold things up!

Here’s a link to the Bill: https://www.commerce.senate.gov/…/ACEB4B07-B232-4176…

And here’s a link to the Underride Section: https://annaleahmary.com/…/Underride-Section-of…

Here’s an article in the media: https://www.commerce.senate.gov/…/cantwell-wicker…

Here’s an article on the House version: After 19-Hour Markup, Committee Advances Two Major Pieces of Bipartisan Legislation to Modernize America’s Infrastructure, Create Jobs, and Restore U.S. Global Competitiveness

After all, it’s only been 19,076 days since DOT said they were going to add side guards!

In Memory of Iris Maldonado (June 7, 2021)

Underride Crash Map, , ,

At around 3:50 a.m., a person driving a Honda Civic was traveling directly behind a tractor-trailer when the Honda struck the rear of the truck for an unknown reason.

The Honda driver, identified as 39-year-old Iris Maldonado of Bristol, was transported to the hospital, where she was later pronounced dead. State Police investigating fatal crash involving tractor-trailer on I-84 west in East Hartford Monday

Because the bottom of a truck is higher than the bumper of passenger vehicles, when there is a collision the smaller vehicle easily slides under the truck and the first point of impact is the windshield. Seatbelts, airbags, and car crumple zones do not function as intended in underride crashes —front, side, and rear — leaving passenger vehicle occupants vulnerable to life-threatening injuries.

Iris Maldonado, Precious One Gone Too Soon

See Underride Crash Memorials posted here and at #STOPunderrides Tweets. To add photos or 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 and to aid in underride advocacy efforts.)

Support improving Underride Protection on trailers: Contact your legislators with this User-Friendly TAKE ACTION online tool.

How You Can Help

Please sign this petition: Congress, Act Now To End Deadly Truck Underrides.

Note: In order to raise awareness and preserve the memories of underride victims — precious ones gone too soon — I have been writing memorial posts on what appear to me to be underride crashes. I am not a crash reconstructionist, and I do not have all the facts on these crashes; but I think that underride should be investigated as a potential factor in truck crash injuries and deaths.

In Memory of Nathanal King (June 5, 2021)

Underride Crash Map, , ,

Nathanal King, 26, was in a Hyundai Santa Fe traveling southbound in the right lane when his car struck the rear of a disabled tractor trailer near milepost 58 around 4:45 a.m., New Jersey State Police Sgt. Lawrence Peele said.

King was pronounced dead at the scene.  Former Trenton Catholic Track, Basketball Star Killed In I-295 Crash

Because the bottom of a truck is higher than the bumper of passenger vehicles, when there is a collision the smaller vehicle easily slides under the truck and the first point of impact is the windshield. Seatbelts, airbags, and car crumple zones do not function as intended in underride crashes —front, side, and rear — leaving passenger vehicle occupants vulnerable to life-threatening injuries.

Nathanal King, Precious One Gone Too Soon

See Underride Crash Memorials posted here and at #STOPunderrides Tweets. To add photos or 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 and to aid in underride advocacy efforts.)

Support improving Underride Protection on trailers: Contact your legislators with this User-Friendly TAKE ACTION online tool.

How You Can Help

Please sign this petition: Congress, Act Now To End Deadly Truck Underrides.

Note: In order to raise awareness and preserve the memories of underride victims — precious ones gone too soon — I have been writing memorial posts on what appear to me to be underride crashes. I am not a crash reconstructionist, and I do not have all the facts on these crashes; but I think that underride should be investigated as a potential factor in truck crash injuries and deaths.

In Memory of Abby Foster, Madison Wilson, Devin Wilson, & John Winstead (June 3, 2021)

Underride Crash Map, , ,

Alberto Pedraza was driving a box truck on Highway 264, going too fast for the rainy conditions. He lost control and crossed the median, crashing head-on with a car with five teenagers inside. . .

Because the bottom of a truck is higher than the bumper of passenger vehicles, when there is a collision the smaller vehicle easily slides under the truck and the first point of impact is the windshield. Seatbelts, airbags, and car crumple zones do not function as intended in underride crashes —front, side, and rear — leaving passenger vehicle occupants vulnerable to life-threatening injuries.

Abby Foster, Madison Wilson, Devin Wilson, & John Winstead, 

Precious Ones Gone Too Soon

See Underride Crash Memorials posted here and at #STOPunderrides Tweets. To add photos or 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 and to aid in underride advocacy efforts.)

Support improving Underride Protection on trailers: Contact your legislators with this User-Friendly TAKE ACTION online tool.

How You Can Help

Please sign this petition: Congress, Act Now To End Deadly Truck Underrides.

Note: In order to raise awareness and preserve the memories of underride victims — precious ones gone too soon — I have been writing memorial posts on what appear to me to be underride crashes. I am not a crash reconstructionist, and I do not have all the facts on these crashes; but I think that underride should be investigated as a potential factor in truck crash injuries and deaths.