Join my Underride Hero Hall of Fame & Leave a Legacy of Life: Act to End Preventable Death By Underride #STOPUnderrides S.2219/HR.4622.
There are many people who should be included in this underride hero “hall of fame” but whose photos I do not have.
Congress, Act Now To End Deadly Truck Underride!
Any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankind. . . John Donne
John Thune, Join my Underride Hero Hall of Fame & Leave a Legacy of Life: Act to End Preventable Death By Underride #STOPUnderrides S.2219/HR.4622
There are many people who should be included in this underride hero “hall of fame” but whose photos I do not have.
Any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankind. . . John Donne
Safety Research & Strategies, Inc. reported on the recent confirmation hearing of Heidi King to become the NHTSA Administrator:
One note The Safety Record thought that everyone ought to hit a lot harder is that three automakers that we know of – Ford, GM and Fiat Chrysler – have installed automatic engine shutoffs on at least some of their keyless models. Manufacturers hated NHTSA’s 2011 proposal because they thought the decibel level for the audible alert that would be required was too loud. Automakers are loathe to implement features that annoy their customers – it’s a thread of concern that continues to show up. That’s why an automatic engine shut-off, set for a reasonable length of time is a good engineered solution. The software fix is inexpensive modern vehicles contain all the required hardware to make this happen.
In 2011, the agency rejected the possibility of such a regulation, arguing that they couldn’t pick an interval after which the vehicle would automatically shut down. But maybe it’s time to re-think that. Or maybe the agency will follow a time-honored tradition and wait long enough for 90 percent of the industry to do it voluntarily, and then publish a new Final Rule.
I have a better strategy for NHTSA to address the underride problem. Don’t wait around for the industry to get around to maybe someday perhaps voluntarily putting on improved rear guards on all trucks plus side guards plus front underride protection plus retrofitting the millions of trailers already on the road, along with Single Unit Trucks, and, of course, properly MAINTAIN them all.
No, instead, do a Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (SNPRM) now that would mandate all of those good, life-saving things. And, by the way, benefit the industry as well in so many ways!
SUPPLEMENTAL RULEMAKING Guidelines
The Senate Commerce Committee considered the nomination of Heidi King to be NHTSA Administrator on May 16, 2018. Here is the video from that hearing:
https://www.commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/hearings?ID=6D165DA3-EA0F-4F1C-B1D1-A039BE79107D
If Heidi King is confirmed to be NHTSA Administrator, will she take the reins and move decisively to solve the underride problem? Will Congress tell her to do so?
Perry Ponder, inventor of the AngelWing side guard, has made another great contribution in the pursuit of improved underride protection. Earlier this week, I saw that I had received a notification of a new public comment on the rear guard NPRM.
His letter begins with this comment:
As NHTSA moves at a glacial pace toward revising FMVSS 223 and 224, I’d like to point out an underride guard mode of failure I have observed while investigating a number of trailer and truck underride accidents.
The Senate Commerce Committee held a nomination hearing on May 16, which included Heidi King, nominee for the position of NHTSA Administrator. Senator Nelson (D-FL), Ranking Member, gave some opening remarks, including:
During today’s hearing, I hope Ms. King will provide a detailed plan on how she will demand accountability from those involved in the Takata fiasco and finally implement a real strategy to help drivers get safe airbags in their vehicles as soon as possible.
NHTSA also needs to do more to increase highway safety, including truck safety.
One way to do this is to have more use of underride guards on trucks so that cars don’t slide underneath during collisions.
The addition of this safety shield could have helped saved the lives of many, including Lois Durso’s daughter Roya. Lois is here today, along with other tireless advocates.
And I hope Ms. King has some answers for the Durso family on that issue. They certainly deserve it.
Heidi King was grilled extensively about NHTSA’s inaction on several auto safety issues. I only wish that she had been asked to address the ongoing underride problem.
NHTSA has finally released the report from the side underride study which they commissioned Texas A&M to do in 2016-2017. Here is the press release: https://www.nhtsa.gov
The study: Computer Modeling and Evaluation Of Side Underride Protective Device Designs
More later on our analysis of the research.
Knee-jerk reaction: I am glad that they finally proceeded with technical studies on side underride. But countless lives have been lost since 1969 when DOT announced that they intended to extend underride protection on the sides of large trucks after technical studies were completed.
It is high time for someone to act responsibly. Either Senator Thune can respond and move the STOP Underrides Bill forward, or NHTSA can act on its own and do supplemental comprehensive underride rulemaking. Either way, many lives will be saved.
If they refuse to act appropriately, who should bear the blame for continued preventable underride tragedies?
Completed nomination questionnaires are available at www.commerce.senate.gov/nominations
Witnesses:
*Witness list subject to change.
Hearing Details:
Wednesday, May 16, 2018
10:00 a.m.
Full Committee
This hearing will take place in Russell Senate Office Building, Room 253. Witness testimony, opening statements, and a live video of the hearing will be available on www.commerce.senate.gov.
. . . these substandard designs can be retrofitted and adapted with the proper side guards and rear guards that will provide passenger vehicle protection. These pivotal changes are in the hands of Congress to enact solutions that are mandatory for compliant commercial vehicles. The STOP Underrides Act of 2017, in both the House and the Senate, is an important piece of legislation that works to correct this “geometric mismatch” to better protect roadway drivers and traffic safety.
The National Sheriffs’ Association Traffic Safety Committee believes that this bill is vital to the efforts to prevent these crashes from occurring, first and foremost and also to lower roadway deaths, injuries, and property damage. We applaud the efforts of Senators Gillibrand and Rubio, as well as Congressman Cohen and DeSaulnier as they work to combat and improve safety on our nation’s roadways.
This request is deeply personal to all of us and will protect our constituents on our roadways, protect our law enforcement officers and first responders, and lower deaths and injuries.
Thank you for your consideration of our request.
Sincerely,
Sheriff Harold Eavenson, Rockwall County, TX, President, National Sheriffs’ Association
Sheriff John Whetsel (Ret.), Oklahoma County, OK, Chair, Traffic Safety Committe
Lois Durso and I will be back in DC next week to attend the May 16 nomination hearing for NHTSA Administrator nominee Heidi King (currently serving as the NHTSA Deputy Administrator). We welcome opportunities to sit down and share our stories and knowledge of this preventable problem. And we are hopeful that there will be significant action to move this life-preserving legislation forward posthaste.
