Category Archives: Safety Advocacy

School Bus Underride Protection Was Proposed by DOT in 1967

Safety Advocacy, ,

Just for the record, apparently passenger vehicles can ride under the rear of school buses upon collision. It happens. It kills. It’s preventable.

Deadly Accident Involving School Bus in Arkansas

Deadly Accident Involving School Bus in Arkansas; The death and serious injuries were in an SUV that hit the bus, Sept. 21, 2015, OzarksFirst.com

Questions About Rear Under-Ride Bars On School Buses Follow Deadly Crash, 5News, Sept. 22, 2015

Read the reports and decide for yourself:

Posts on School Bus Underride

No matter what the reasons for past delay, let’s not let that stand in the way of ending deadly underride.

Safety Advocacy, Truck Safety, , ,

I’ve said this before but it bears repeating: While it makes me frustrated and angry when I discover new information which reveals how much and in what way the underride problem has been swept under the rug for decades, I continue to push for action to be taken collaboratively to end these senseless deaths as quickly as possible.

Based on analysis by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety of NHTSA’s truck crash fatality statistics (FARS), this graphic reflects the 600 truck/car collisions which annually occur, on average, at the sides and rear of large trucks  — leaving out front collisions: potential underride tragedies which we want to prevent with the STOP Underrides! Bill.

Some years ago, I noticed the way that the prophet Daniel, in Daniel 9, got on his knees and repented on behalf of his people. . . God’s people, for wrongdoing that he was not directly responsible for — appealing to God to act mercifully.

This week, I thought of that again and determined to stand in the stead of all those who have turned their backs to the underride problem — unknowingly or not. Perhaps we all play some part in not getting to the bottom of those terrible tragedies. Every day we delay, more people will die from truck underride. STOP Underrides!

No matter what the reasons for past delay, let’s not let that stand in the way of moving forward. That is specifically why a Committee On Underride Protection (COUP) is included in the STOP Underrides! Bill, so that a diverse group of individuals can more effectively bring about what is known to be possible.

And so I say with Daniel, “Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, we have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly, and rebelled, even turning aside from Thy commandments and ordinances. . . Open shame belongs to us. . .

“O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and take action! For Thine own sake, O my God, do not delay. . .” (Daniel 9)

On behalf of all those who have not been held accountable, I repent of our country’s indifference to this preventable highway carnage. I ask the Lord to forgive our callous attitude, misplaced priorities, and neglect. May He stir up a sense of urgency that we might all take appropriate action and work together more creatively and effectively.

What are we waiting for?! Let’s get on with it! We’ve got people counting on us — whether they know it or not.

DC Underride Crash Test Event, March 26: Be There, or Be Square!

Safety Advocacy, Truck Safety, ,

Don’t turn a blind eye to preventable truck underride tragedies!

SAVE THE DATE: March 26, 2019, D.C. Underride Crash Test Event

Be there, or be square!

Save the Date D.C. UNDERRIDE Crash Test pdf

Society pay for Large Truck Crash Costs or Industry Pay for Safety Equipment as Cost of Doing Business?

Safety Advocacy, Truck Safety, , , ,

How do “we” want to handle it? Ask the trucking industry to pay for underride protection as a Cost of Doing Business or continue to force the society and victims to pay for the cost of large truck crashes?

Costs of large truck-involved crashes in the United States

Zaloshnja_Cost Truck Injuries USA[14648]

Is safety equipment (like underride guards) a legitimate “cost of doing business” for the trucking industry?

Underride Question: Litigation or Legislation?

Win/Win: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about the STOP Underrides! Bill

My Underride Protection Win/Win List:

  1. Fuel Savings (aerondynamics when combined with side skirts)
  2. Return On Investment (see #1)
  3. Trucks get Back on the Road more quickly when a crash does not involve a fatality.
  4. Driver Benefit: less negative impact on their career and avoidance of PTSD from someone dying under their truck.
  5. Job Creation (design, manufacture, installation, and maintenance of underride protective devices).
  6. Trailer Manufacturers burden lifted if mandated; they no longer have to persuade customers to buy trailers with safer equipment/design.
  7. BTW, lives are saved and serious injuries are prevented
Incentives:
  • Sponsors of the STOP Underrides! Bill are open to discussing a weight exemption for added weight of safety equipment (so that payload is not impacted).
  • Section 179 of the IRS Tax Code allows for a tax deduction for safety equipment purchased by trucking companies.
  • Decreased insurance risk. Wouldn’t it be great if the insurance industry would play their part and provide incentives for use of this equipment (perhaps discounts for early adopters of this life-saving technology)?

Is safety equipment (like underride guards) a legitimate “cost of doing business” for the trucking industry?

Safety Advocacy, Truck Safety, , ,

It’s a simple question:  Is safety equipment a legitimate “cost of doing business” for the trucking industry?

Here’s one opinion from Country Supply, Inc. (they service semi-trailers):

It looks like another rule/law is coming down the pipeline for the American transportation sector, specifically the trucking industry. In December of 2017 some members of Congress put forth legislation that will mandate new safety regulations for semis. This bill, introduced as S.2219 Stop the Underrides Act of 2017, would mandate front and side underride guards. It would also require the rear underride guards be brought up to higher and stronger standards. Safety of passenger vehicle occupants is the premise for this legislation.

If this law is passed, should we just consider it another cost of doing business for the trucking industry? If the past is any indication to what new regulations and laws will bear, then the answer is a definitive yes. For those who haven’t voluntarily installed these underride guards it might be wise to think about the ramifications of what the enactment of this law will bring and how this will potentially impact your future business costs. Hopefully, the mandating of any new requirements such as this will allow for ample time for compliance and implementation. Naturally, there are varied opinions about this bill. Not everyone is a proponent. Are You for or Against S.2219 Stop the Underrides Act of 2017?

Now wouldn’t that be wonderful if the entire industry embraced that attitude and we were all proponents of this life-saving technology? In fact, I’m chomping at the bit to organize a Third Underride Roundtable. My vision is to bring all the stakeholders back together again in order to collaborate and figure out how we can most effectively move ahead together to implement a mandate for comprehensive underride protection.

Society pay for Large Truck Crash Costs or Industry Pay for Safety Equipment as Cost of Doing Business?

 

Could effective underride protection on the school bus have changed the outcome?

Safety Advocacy, , , ,
A School Bus Underride Crash took place on September 5, 2018: 
Two issues here: Distracted Driving and Underride. If distracted driving was a factor in the crash, that is so regrettable (and how many of us might be guilty of such foolish behavior?). But could effective underride protection on the school bus have changed the outcome?
 
Here’s a February 2000 article about the problem (unresolved) of School Bus Underride Tragedies: http://www.schoolbusfleet.com/article/610153/should-school-buses-have-rear-underride-guards
My post in May about multiple school bus underrides in the last year: https://annaleahmary.com/2018/05/four-separate-school-bus-underride-crashes-in-the-last-six-months/

Is neglecting preventable underride the same as shedding innocent blood?

Safety Advocacy

The moral law of God requires us to love our neighbor by doing all in our power to safeguard his life and by refraining from any action that may endanger his life. The Guilt of Innocent Blood

So what does it mean when “we” are not doing all that is in our power to safeguard people from preventable underride?

[Shedding innocent blood, 2 Kings 24:4]

“we” = anyone who could take action to make sure that trucks have the best possible underride protection. Who might that include?

 

“Up against [a tobacco] industry that has just completely disregarded human life”

Safety Advocacy, Truck Safety, , , , ,

Fair Warning recently published an article on litigation related to the tobacco industry. Do you detect  startling similarities to the disregard for human life by the trucking industry’s inaction on the underride problem?

Rosen said he expects to litigate tobacco cases for the foreseeable future. “To me these are the best cases to represent people and go up against an industry that has just completely disregarded human life and consumer safety,” he said. “The companies just look at their bottom line at the expense of consumers who didn’t really understand what they were getting into.”  Florida Still a Dismal Swamp for Cigarette Makers Fighting Death and Injury Claims

Underride Question: Litigation or Legislation?

Taking the STOP Underrides! Message to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally

Safety Advocacy, Truck Safety,
Lois Durso and her friend Anita Bomgaars (injured in an underride crash in the 70s) are bringing the STOP Underrides! message & bumper stickers to the Sturgis, South Dakota, Motorcycle Rally.
 
They were interviewed by a Fox affiliate station today: http://www.kotatv.com/video/?vid=490202881
 
Help us reach our goal to get STOP Underrides! Bumper Stickers on cars in every state in the U.S.A.! Why? So we can raise awareness & get the STOP Underrides! Bill passed to end these senseless tragedies. Find out how to get your bumper sticker here: Reach Every State to STOP Crash Underrides Everywhere! (RESSCUE) Bumper Sticker Project

Road to Zero Coalition Members Can Sign On Here to the Truck Underride Priority Statement!

Safety Advocacy, Truck Safety, ,

We were excited to receive news on June 26 that the Road to Zero Coalition (RTZ) has published a Truck Underride Priority Statement on their website.

The Road to Zero Coalition is working to end preventable deaths on U.S. roadways by 2050. With that goal in mind, the Coalition is developing Safety Priority Statements that most – if not all – Coalition members can support.

Truck Underride Priority Statement

Road to Zero Coalition Released a Truck Underride Priority Statement

We are thankful to the RTZ Steering Group for taking the time to discuss and approve this important means of providing a stronger voice for the vulnerable victims of truck underride.

Those who wish to add their voice, but are not RTZ Coalition members, can either join RTZ here: Road to Zero Coalition Membership Form

Or, write their own Letter of Support and Sign the STOP Underrides! Petition here: Congress, Act Now To End Deadly Truck Underride!