This week, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) justifiably pointed out how their amazing safety research has led to much of the bipartisan traffic safety legislation which the Senate and House recently passed — likely to see final confirmation in the coming weeks. Thankfully, this legislation includes underride provisions — for an updated rear guard standard and further research on side underride.
Years of work by IIHS-HLDI paved way for safety provisions in infrastructure bill, August 25, 2021
What the IIHS did not mention was how long it has taken for that legislation to come about — decades. Further, they didn’t stress, as strongly as I would have, how frustrating it is that the IIHS research — coupled with recommendations from the NTSB — still doesn’t seem to be enough to warrant a straight-out mandate for side guards.
On top of that, the IIHS did not mention the missing components of the underride legislation; the infrastructure bill does not include even a hint of research regarding protection of the traveling public from deadly underride under Single Unit Trucks (otherwise known as straight or box trucks) or at the front of large trucks. And we’re talking not only about passenger vehicle occupants but, also, Vulnerable Road Users — pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists. Yet, IIHS and FMCSA have published reports about those safety hazards:
- IIHS comment to NHTSA concerning rear underride guards, including single unit trucks
- Study of Truck Side Guards to Reduce Pedestrian Fatalities, FMCSA, 2020
- IIHS-Status-Report-on-Front-Underride-Protection-August-26-1989.pdf
If NHTSA is truly data-driven, then shouldn’t the fact that 61% of the two-vehicle truck crash fatalities in 2019 occurred with first impact at the front of large trucks spur significant research into front underride protection? Shouldn’t we at least consider the potential for proven technology — already installed by major international truck manufacturers on their products in other countries — to make truck crashes more survivable?
Will we, instead, continue to ignore the preventable deaths which occur year after year? Perhaps might we, at least, engage in meaningful, collaborative conversation about potential solutions — active and passive — to end these tragedies? Other countries have done so.
- United Nations ECE-93 Front Underrun Protective Devices Standard
- Front Underride Protection Brochure
- The Volvo FH – the drivers’ choice since a quarter of a century. – And this truck promises to keep changing the world of trucking & a FUP excerpt
- Major truck manufacturers have Front Underride Protection designs which can work on American trucks.
- Volvo Trucks Malaysia
- NTSB Truck Underride Safety Recommendations to NHTSA
Engineers, Trucking Industry, & Victim Advocates Collaborate at Side Guard Task Force February 2021
What is wrong with US? Dare I hope that we might finally come to our senses and pursue significant change?
Will DOT Respond to Petition for Underride Rulemaking on Single Unit Trucks?
Petition for Underride Rulemaking on Single Unit Trucks (sign here)
