Tag Archives: underride deaths

Ralph Nader Radio Hour Highlights Underride. . . Here’s The Rest of the Story

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This week, I had a conversation with Ralph Nader about the truck underride problem. Now, he has been an important activist in the automobile safety space for decades and his advocacy has saved many lives. Unfortunately, underride is a problem that existed when he began his consumer advocacy efforts yet people — still to this day — continue to die from that preventable problem. Why is that? Well, it’s the trucks (not the cars).

Here’s the Ralph Nader Radio Hour podcast of that conversation published on December 20, 2025, at 24:45 on this link: Trouble in Toyland 2025 / Stop Underride.

What we talked about, but which apparently got edited out of the final version, was the full extent of the problem. Ralph asked me a couple of times how many people died every year from underride. I started out by describing how vastly undercounted underrides are — both due to the fact that an underride checkbox doesn’t exist on the state crash report forms for most states and also because NHTSA excludes many categories of victims from their regulatory cost benefit analysis. Since he wanted a number, I said that there were at least 600 underride deaths a year. But the actual number is higher, especially when you count the deaths of Vulnerable Road Users — pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists — all of whom face lethal underride dangers, too.

A presentation which I made a few weeks ago to NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison provides a few more details about the extent of the underride problem and the flawed analysis by NHTSA: Preventing Underride Deaths At 40 mph FINAL – Make Truck Crashes SURVIVABLE and here are my presenter notes: NHTSA Administrator Morrison Meeting – Presenter Notes. This slide captures numbers for annual underride fatalities:

Out of 40,000 annual traffic deaths, 4.5% are caused by underride. Underrides are lethal for car passengers because the bottom edge of trailers stands above all of the passive safety features incorporated into passenger vehicles, e.g., crush zones, bumpers, airbag sensors, seat belt tensioners.

When cars and large commercial motor vehicles interact, the bottom of the trailer can intrude into the occupant survival space and cause life-threatening injuries such as decapitation and crush injuries. The same risks face bicyclists, motorcyclists, and pedestrians when they get swept under large commercial trucks and get crushed by the rear wheels.

Underride deaths cannot be eliminated by changing driver behavior or even crash avoidance technology. (It’s not the crash that kills; it’s the underride.) They can only be eliminated by the installation of physical guards, known as “impact” or “underride” guards, to the sides and rear of trailers. This is LOW HANGING FRUIT – a problem not as hard to solve as impaired or distracted driving.

Preventing underride deaths at 40 mph is possible. But it will not happen through voluntary action by trailer manufacturers. This is a failure of the marketplace. Government regulation is intended to correct for market failures, and NHTSA has the power to do that.

AnnaLeah & Mary for Truck Safety and Aaron Kiefer have been invited to demonstrate underride crash testing next year at the 2026 Southeast Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Summit co-hosted by the FMCSA in Raleigh on August 11.  I invited NHTSA Administrator Morrison and FMCSA Administrator Barrs to take advantage of this opportunity to witness firsthand the life & death difference of underride protection.

Preventing underride deaths is not a Republican issue. It’s not a Democratic issue. Neither Party has made a difference in the underride policy space. I asked Administrator Morrison to make that part of his public service legacy.

And that is why, knowing of Ralph’s promotion of civic advocacy, I mailed a proposal to him a month or so ago. You see, we share a common dream for the mobilization of a network of citizen advocacy groups — one in each of the 435 Congressional districts. This outside-the-box strategy has the potential to build bridges between polarized citizens, enabling them to find common ground thereby uniting and amplifying their voices — empowering We The People to bring about needed change in our country.

Memorials of Underride Crash Victims

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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 — resulting in underride and passenger compartment intrusion (PCI). 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.

This geometric mismatch has been misunderstood for decades. Reports on truck crashes generally focus on the cause of the crash and not what caused the deaths. So underride is undercounted. I know this from firsthand experience having been in a truck crash (but not in the part of the car which went under the truck) and lost two daughters because of underride (one of whom was not reported as such in DOT data).

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 underride should be investigated as a potential factor in truck crash injuries and deaths.

This is not an exhaustive list — merely the tip of the iceberg. But I hope that it serves to demonstrate the ongoing nature of a preventable public safety problem.

You can find these Underride Crash Memorial posts here.

Basic Underride Information

Certified Letters Alert 200 Carriers of Underride Dangers & Solutions

In Memory of Jessica, Anaiah, Jeffrey, Hank, & Mack Noel (September 25, 2020)

Underride Crash Map,

A Ford Expedition driven by Jessica Noel, 33, Viola, with her four children as passengers was southbound . . .

A semi trailer loaded with grain and driven by Andrew Specht ran a stop sign, according the sheriff’s department. Noel’s vehicle struck the trailer and it split in two pieces.

Noel, and her children Jeffrey Thompson III, 4,  Hank Thompson, 4-months, and Anaiah Brady, 10, were pronounced dead at the scene. . .

EMS transported a fourth passenger 1-year-old Mack Thompson to Wesley Medical Center in critical condition. . . He died at the hospital. Sheriff IDs Kan. mother, 4 children killed in collision

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 — leaving passenger vehicle occupants vulnerable to life-threatening injuries.

Jessica, Anaiah, Jeffrey, Hank, & Mack Noel, 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.

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

How You Can Help

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 underride should be investigated as a potential factor in truck crash injuries and deaths.

Underride Crash Memorials

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NOTE: The summer months involved a lot of traveling to help family and I was not able to continue reviewing truck crash notifications and writing underride memorial posts. As a result, you will observe an apparent cessation in these tragedies — not because they aren’t happening but only because I wasn’t monitoring and recording them. 10/1/24 mwk

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 — resulting in underride and passenger compartment intrusion (PCI). 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.

This geometric mismatch has been misunderstood for decades. Reports on truck crashes generally focus on the cause of the crash and not what caused the deaths. So underride is undercounted. I know this from firsthand experience having been in a truck crash (but not in the part of the car which went under the truck) and lost two daughters because of underride (one of whom was not reported as such in DOT data).

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 underride should be investigated as a potential factor in truck crash injuries and deaths.

This is not an exhaustive list — merely the tip of the iceberg. But I hope that it serves to demonstrate the ongoing nature of a preventable public safety problem.

You can find these Underride Crash Memorial posts here.

Basic Underride Information

Certified Letters Alert 200 Carriers of Underride Dangers & Solutions

Daily Glimpse of Underride Death Toll Posted on My Twitter

Safety Advocacy, Truck Safety, , ,

I’m sure that I don’t get alerted to every underride crash in this nation. But I see enough of them to frequently re-kindle my frustration with the lack of significant action on this issue. Apparently, no one person feels the burden resting squarely on their shoulders. Hence, we are left with a disturbing absence of a sense of urgency to solve the problem.

You can catch a dismal glimpse of the daily Underride Death Toll (certainly not an exact count) on my Twitter Profile.

We The People Must Stand Up To Industry Opposition To Lifesaving Underride Protection Technology

Safety Advocacy, Truck Safety, ,

We the People must grab the reins of power to protect vulnerable travelers on our roads. The federal government and the trucking industry are either dragging their feet or deliberately opposing* efforts to get life-saving underride protection technology on all large trucks. It’s up to us to change the course of history.

The STOP Underrides! Bill has already been introduced (on December 12, 2017) by Senator Gillibrand, Senator Rubio, Congressman Cohen, and Congressman DeSaulnier. Now it’s time to let every one of our legislators know that it is not just Lois Durso and Marianne Karth who want this bill passed. The people of this country must speak up and demand that this practical solution be required.

Are you with us?

Watch this compelling video:

Over 57,000 people have signed the STOP Underrides! Petition. We need a strong voice calling for an end to these preventable tragedies. If you have not already done so, please sign this petition: Congress, Act Now To End Deadly Truck Underride!

Spread the word! Share the video and the petition.

Please let us know if you would be willing to put a bumper sticker on your car to raise awareness. If so, email us at stopunderrides@gmail.com.

* Letters from Trucking Industry Associations in Opposition to Underride Technology Mandates (with a response from Senator Gillibrand & a blogpost from a truck driver advocate)

It is unfortunate that the regulated industry has such power over how they are regulated. Their decisions and actions are apparently informed by a strong inclination to protect the bottomline rather than by the conscience of individuals within that industry. How frustrating that they do not truly take into account the “honest bottomline” for, if they did, they would know that it would be to their ultimate advantage to make full use of every safety technology available to them.

Here is a FAQ document with answers to frequently asked questions about the STOP Underrides! Bill: FAQ STOP Underrides Bill. I hope that it helps to get us all on the same page and moving more quickly toward effective collaboration to end truck underride tragedies with Win/Win solutions.

After all, this is not about getting the truck industry to get in line — or else. To quote Rose in The Last Jedi: That’s how we’re gonna win. Not fighting what we hate, saving what we love.

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

In Memory of Danielle Garcia

Underride Crash Map, ,

A 22-year-old woman was killed in a crash in Pawnee County early Saturday morning.

According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, Danielle Garcia was driving east on U-25 just west of Larned when she rear-ended a semi which had slowed down to turn into a private driveway.

KHP says she was wearing her seat belt.

The driver of the semi was not hurt. Woman dies in Pawnee County crash

See more underride tragedies at Underride Crash Memorials and on our Interactive Underride Crash Map. To add more information on this story or to add other underride crashes to this map, send an email to underridemap@gmail.com; use this Interactive Underride Crash Map Crash Location Input Form.

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 underride should be investigated as a potential factor in truck crash injuries and deaths.

“A Culture of Conformity, Inertia, & Malpractice Paranoia”: Could that be said of the industry & underride?

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STOP UnderRides!

A DIFFERENT STRATEGY

TO ACHIEVE UNDERRIDE PROTECTION

For Such A Time As This

Why, you might ask, would we write a piece of legislation calling for a comprehensive underride protection rule? Why not have separate bills for side underride and rear underride and front underride and Single Unit Trucks (SUTs), et cetera?

I am convinced of the importance of this strategy and want to share some of my thoughts here: Why COMPREHENSIVE Underride Protection Legislation? and A DIFFERENT STRATEGY To Achieve Underride Protection

I put down those thoughts while sitting outside the Duke Integrative Medicine Center. When I finished, I went inside and picked up a book called, Hippocrates’ Shadow , which talks about what happens in the medical field when the problems of ineffective treatments are not openly discussed. This phrase jumped out at me: “With full knowledge and ample evidence that it doesn’t work, we do it anyway.” (by David H. Newman, MD, p. 25) And the author referred to one of the reasons that the problems don’t get addressed being, “a culture of conformity, inertia, and malpractice paranoia.” Well said. . .

@RepCohen, thank you for telling House T&I Committee about importance of the STOP Underrides! Bill.

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Congressman Steve Cohen, thank you for your strong message to the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee about the importance of passing the STOP Underrides! Bill to protect us all from deadly & catastrophic truck underride.

Documents which Representative Cohen discusses:

  • 2002 American Trucking Associations Technology Maintenance Council Task Force predicts underride regulations for single unit trucks by 2005 and for front & side by 2006.  2002 ATA Prediction of Side Guard Regulations
  • 2007 Transportation Research Board study from the University of Michigan describes how front underride protection could save 27-37% lives in these kinds of crashes. It also describes how it is likely that a government mandate will be required because the industry is not motivated to add [underride protection] voluntarily. The Domain of Truck and Bus Safety Research

In Memory of Leroy Miller

Underride Crash Map, ,

It appears that a car collided with a Pepsi truck at the intersection of Chester and East 105th Street.

Cleveland Police say that one person was killed, and two others were entrapped in the car.

The man who was killed has been identified as 49-year-old Leroy Miller Sr. of Cleveland. Victim identified in Chester Avenue crash

 

See more underride tragedies at Underride Crash Memorials and on our Interactive Underride Crash Map. To add more information on this story or to add other underride crashes to this map, send an email to underridemap@gmail.com; use this Interactive Underride Crash Map Crash Location Input Form.

 

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 underride should be investigated as a potential factor in truck crash injuries and deaths.