Tag Archives: crash test

CMV Safety Summit Showcases Underride Crash Tests

June 17, 2026Safety Advocacy, Truck Safetycrash test, FMCSA, NHTSA, rear impact guards, side guards, underride, underride guardsMarianne

The FMCSA and the Institute for Transportation Research & Education at North Carolina State co-hosted of the Commercial Motor Vehicle 2026 Safety Summit in Raleigh, North Carolina August 10-11, 2026. The organizers invited AnnaLeah & Mary for Truck Safety (ALMFTS) to arrange an underride crash testing demonstration by Aaron Kiefer (Collision Safety Consulting) and a volunteer TEAM Underride Crash Test Crew — as part of the Technology Showcase held at the NC State Highway Patrol training facility on August 11.

Educational resources available to participants at the STOP Underrides/Collision Safety Consulting booth in the Exhibit Hall and the Technology Showcase are provided here digitally:

Here is Video Footage from the Crash Tests:

Crash test into the side of a trailer WITH a side impact/underride guard at 39 mph
Crash test into the side of a trailer WITHOUT a side impact/underride guard at 40 mph

Media Coverage:

A deadly gap under semis: Advocates say a simple truck guard could prevent deadly underride crashes, 11Alive, Georgia
NHTSA Administrator Sees Raleigh Underride Crash Test, Raleigh News&Observer

We know this unique opportunity to showcase the technical feasibility of underride protection could not have been accomplished without the commitment to safety evidenced by so many people. We are grateful to the individuals and organizations whose donations made this demonstration of life-saving technology possible — including gifts given in memory of several underride victims, as well as an engineer who made significant contributions to underride research. Additionally, we are thankful to the 25 members of the TEAM Underride Crash Test Crew, who volunteered their time and skills from around the country, as well as the help and resources from the NC State Highway Patrol, AWP Safety, and the Garner Fire Department.

Recent Relevant Research Reports & Recommendations on Side Underride Guards:

Eric Hein, a retired federal scientist, published a double-blind, peer-reviewed cost benefit analysis study in the Journal of Progress in Safety & Security on May 15, 2026, titled, Cost-benefit analysis of side underride guards for new semitrailers in the United States.
Side Underrride CBA Policy Brief
Side Underride Hidden Legal Costs
Hein referenced his study in a recent opinion piece published on June 4 in The Hill, Federal regulators know exactly how to prevent side underride deaths. Hein concludes with a reminder and recommendation to Congress regarding its role in ending preventable underride tragedies.
Then Hein wrote an opinion piece published in the Insurance Thought Leadership on August 5, 2026. This is what he said about it, I’ve spent years showing how side underride guards save lives. Here’s the insurance perspective. Preventing catastrophic crashes could also reduce catastrophic losses. Side Underride Guards on Trucks Prevent Deaths

Crash Test Into Side of a Trailer with a Side Guard 2026 Crash testing, of a car colliding with the side of a tractor trailer — equipped with a Side Underride Guard — at 39 mph as part of the 2026 CMV Safety Summit in Raleigh, was live streamed on Facebook by a member of the crash test crew from a spectator viewpoint on a hill above the crash course. The windshield was cracked, but the truck did not go past the windshield into the occupant survival space.

Crash Test Into Side of Trailer — No Side Guard 2026 (livestreamed on Facebook) Crash testing, of a car colliding with the side of a tractor trailer at 40 mph as part of the 2026 CMV Safety Summit in Raleigh, was live streamed on Facebook by a member of the crash test crew from a spectator viewpoint on a hill above the crash course. The driver and a front seat passenger would not have survived.

Successful Side Guard Crash Test in Raleigh

September 15, 2022Safety Advocacy, Truck Safetycrash test, side guards, underrideMarianne

While we wait for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at the U.S. Department of Transportation to complete their side #underride research this year, we continue to do our own research to demonstrate how deadly underride can be prevented. On September 13, we did a crash test in Raleigh at 35 mph into Aaron Kiefer’s (Collision Safety Consulting) latest side guard design.

The crumple zone worked to prevent Passenger Compartment Intrusion (PCI). The windshield didn’t even crack. The airbag deployed. It was a smashing success!

As Aaron Kiefer reflects on the future, he is encouraged that the industry is starting to listen. He points out how we’ve proven that preventing side underride is possible, practical, and reasonable. He observes that we are at the edge of the beginning of the end of side underride tragedies. Aaron is hopeful that both the manufacturers and NHTSA will take note and find a way to move this forward in a timely fashion. “It’s a great time for underride safety,” says Aaron.

Raleigh engineer creating, testing truck underride crash barriers

Other media coverage:

There’s only one way to know if this safety device for trucks works: Crash a car into it: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article265716861.html

Watch a crash test of a new safety guard for tractor-trailer trucks https://www.newsobserver.com/…/local/article265742746.html

‘At first glance, it’s fairly effective’: Raleigh engineer creating, testing truck underride crash barriers https://www.cbs17.com/…/at-first-glance-its-fairly…/

We are grateful to so many people who made this important event possible and successful, including:

the amazing volunteer crash test crew;
the North Carolina State Highway Patrol for the use of their training facility, grounds, fire truck (to fill the water barricades), and general assistance to make it happen;
Copart for providing us with a crash car, including drop off and pick up after the crash;
Area Wide Protective (AWP) traffic control services for providing us with the use of water barricades and skinny drums to provide a safety zone for spectators and camera crew;
Dean’s Wrecker Service for transporting the crash trailer to the crash test site;
Accident Research Specialists of Cary for their expertise in crash test preparation;
Maverick Metalworks for their custom-design metal components for the side guard system;
Cargo Control USA of Sanford for the polyester webbing; and
Sonia Barnes for coming to view the crash test on behalf of Congressman David Price.

Remembering AnnaLeah & Mary, & countless others.

Crash Tests of Rear Underride Guard Reinforcement Attachments, 2016 & 2020

January 26, 2020Safety Advocacy, Truck SafetyAaron Kiefer, crash test, Rear Reinforcement Attachment, rear underride guard, SafetySkirt, TrailerGuard, underrideMarianne

In 2016, Aaron’s team conducted a full overlap rear crash test at approximately 35 mph closure. This test, which was conducted on a reinforced trailer that had already suffered significant rear collision damage. The lightly reinforced rear guard wasn’t able to prevent underride. (TrailerGuards.com)

Aaron’s team has continued to develop trailer underride guards. Recently, they crashed a reinforced trailer with a 2012 Chevy Impala at 38 mph and approximately 25% overlap. This test illustrated that bolt on reinforcements can prevent deadly underride and passenger compartment intrusion (PCI).

Video of Crash Test into a 2005 Vanguard Trailer with a reinforced rear underride guard at 38 mph on January 25, 2020:

Compare that to a crash test by IIHS of a Vanguard 2013 trailer with a weak rear underride guard at 35 mph — at 8:28 on this video:

Crash car after the 38 mph collision into the rear of a tractor trailer: No Passenger Compartment Intrusion (PCI) Hallelujah!!!

Compare that to the initial design of the Rear Reinforcement Attachments on March 12, 2016:

Now that we have proof that these lightweight aluminum plates can prevent deadly underride, should we simply encourage voluntary adoption of this life-saving safety solution? Or should we require every truck in the U.S. to install safety equipment which can meet that level of performance?

In other words, are we going to make it the law to install equipment which can prevent underride when passenger vehicles collide with the rear of large trucks?

8-year-old boy killed in crash involving pickup, tractor-trailer in Lubbock County

1 person dies after pickup truck crashes into delivery truck on Taylorsville Road

Va. family grieves after man killed in Thanksgiving underride crash

Another Successful TrailerGuard System Safety Skirt Crash Test : No Passenger Compartment Intrusion

June 3, 2018Truck SafetyAaron Kiefer, crash test, Passenger Compartment Intrusion, PCI, Safety Skirt, side guard crash test, side guards, TrailerGuard SystemMarianne

On Saturday, June 2, 2018, Aaron Kiefer’s volunteer crew of crash testers, conducted another round of crash testing with his TrailerGuard System consisting of a polyester webbing Safety Skirt connected to his aluminum Rear Reinforcement Attachment (which strengthens the existing rear underride guard).

Crash Test #1 showed some Passenger Compartment Intrusion (PCI), which means the people in the car would have been injured. Analysis of the results showed that the webbing was likely too low and not able to catch the car.

Crash Test #2, on the other hand, was very successful: no PCI. The car was damaged from the collision but did not go under the trailer and rebounded back. 35 mph Delta-V force, 31 mph impact speed

Aerial view from a drone:

Q. What does it mean that the air bags did not deploy?

A. The acceleration was low enough that the car decided that it didn’t need them. So the crash pulse was “long” due to the flexibility/energy absorbing of the webbing. According to the air bag control module report, the car deployed the driver seat and passenger seat belt pretensioners. However, the severity of the crash was judged below the threshold to require the frontal air bags. This is due to the fact that the deceleration was achieved over a long duration (over 200 ms) and that the decleration rate was low.

Q. So, how would occupants have fared?

A. The occupants would have been fine in this 30+ mph collision since PCI was avoided and the energy was absorbed by the webbing and the vehicle structure. the threshold for air bag deployment of a vehicle of this type striking a solid object is 10-15 mph.

Black Box Report

Crash testing — especially without the backing of corporate R&D resources — is time-consuming but well worth the effort. Imagine where we would be in terms of preventing devastating truck underride if we all collaborated to get the job done!

If this had been a real-life crash, side underride would be avoided & people in the car would have survived!

March 12, 2017Truck SafetyAaron Kiefer, crash test, side guard, TrailerGuard SystemMarianne

Successful side guard crash test at 33-34 mph — one year after we helped Aaron Kiefer with his first one. No Passenger Compartment Intrusion (PCI). If this had been a real-life crash, the people in the car would not have experienced deadly, severe underride of the side of the truck.

Lengthier video shows the construction of the side guard, as well as the prep work and aftermath clean-up by Aaron’s volunteer crew:

Thank you, Aaron, for your confidence that this is a solvable problem — and your commitment to follow this project through to its life-saving goal.

Aaron Kiefer’s website: Collision Safety Consulting

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1281790868570091&id=464993830249803

To what lengths would you go to protect your loved ones?

January 10, 2017Safety Advocacy, Truck Safetycrash test, side guardsMarianne

Sometimes it seems like it is just too much to tackle — trying to do everything we can to protect our loved ones. But there is so much which can be done to prevent unnecessary tragedies — especially if we all pull together to do so. How could we walk away and leave anything undone?

Please pray for a multitude of details to come together to bring about Aaron Kiefer’s SIDE GUARD Crash Test on January 20, 2017. It seems like an insurmountable mountain and a shortage of time & resources. Time to speak to that mountain. . .

Specific Need: If anyone knows a truck owner, who would be interested in helping out with his/her tractor on January 20, please point ’em in my direction!

Crash Test of Innovative Large Truck Side Guard Could Advance Side Underride Prevention

December 22, 2016Safety Advocacy, Truck Safetycrash test, side guard, side underride, underride researchMarianne

Crash reconstructionist/forensic engineer Aaron Kiefer continues to develop his ideas for an innovative side/rear underride guard to protect all vulnerable victims from deadly truck underride.

Aaron has identified new materials to make his design stronger, more effective at preventing underride, and user-friendly for the truck drivers. The only thing is that he is doing this work on his own time aside from his regular job of reconstructing crash scenes. He turned to us to ask if we could help him raise some money for his upcoming side guard crash test so that he can prove that his invention will save lives.

You can help Aaron purchase the necessary materials for his next crash test. Our current goal is to raise $3,000* by early next year.

Donate at the ALMFTS website here which our family set up for traffic safety research through our 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, AnnaLeah & Mary for Truck Safety.

We received our IRS letter of approval in 2015 and are listed as a non-profit with Guidestar: http://www.guidestar.org/profile/47-4379503

* Crash Test Materials Include the Following:

$500 would buy the necessary polyester webbing (12,000 lb/in), which gives Aaron’s invention unusual strength.
$500 more would buy the car to crash — a Malibu
$500 more would buy the rear reinforcement aluminum plate and water jet cutting
$500 more would allow Aaron to purchase the aluminum extrusion for reinforcement/rear guard connector
$500 additional would pay for the FRP panel (2 x 190 ft rolls). Just today, Aaron had a sample of this plastic panel successfully sewn together with the polyester webbing — a good sign that this design, with these materials, could provide a strong innovative option for side underride protection on large trucks for pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, and passenger vehicles.
$3,000 TOTAL would allow Aaron to purchase the entire CRASH TEST SET: Panel/webbing/aluminum/assembly/labor (industrial sewing)

Please share this post so others can join in this vital effort to make affordable and effective side guards available to the trucking industry. Thank you!

Just got home from the latest side guard crash test. Watch it here!

May 1, 2016Safety Advocacy, Truck Safetycrash test, side guards, underride guardsMarianne

April 30. 2016

We just got home from helping with Aaron Kiefer’s latest side guard test. Watch it here:

Aaron will be taking this truck with his innovative side/rear guard to the Underride Roundtable at IIHS next week for everyone to see. Then he plans to leave it there in hopes that IIHS will do their own crash testing of his prototype.

Here’s my report on the first crash test of his side guard prototype on March 13, 2016: Witnessed safety defect in action at underride crash tests; this is what snuffed out my daughters’ lives.

Photo album from a day of crash testing from preparation to execution:

If only more had been done to protect against underride before it was too late for Mary and AnnaLeah.

Imagine a truck UNDERRIDE GUARD which provides REAR & SIDE protection.

January 20, 2016AnnaLeah and Mary, Safety Advocacy, Truck SafetyAaron Kiefer, crash test, IIHS, rear underride, side underride guard, underride crash, underride guardMarianne

Imagine an underride guard on a truck which combines protection on the rear of the truck with protection on the side. Sound good?

We have an opportunity to raise money to crash test this innovative underride guard–designed by Aaron Kiefer, a forensic engineer/crash reconstructionist in North Carolina, who after seeing horrific crashes wanted to design better protection to prevent people from dying.

See Aaron’s Public Comment on single unit truck underride rulemaking: http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=NHTSA-2015-0070-0013 “. . . side impact regulations should be considered for straight trucks but more importantly for semitrailers.
Many lives can be saved through side impact protection that is capable of redirecting passenger vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists from moving beneath a straight truck or semitrailer.”

We need to raise $20,000 for a crash test to test Aaron’s design at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Vehicle Research Center. So far, we have raised $4,500 to cover the costs of a 2010 Chevy Malibu and a tractor-trailer into which the car will crash.

Be a part of this important project and help to save lives. Donate now & spread the word: https://www.fortrucksafety.com/

Printable Brochure: ALMFTS Underride Crash Tests Brochure