A bicameral group of lawmakers recently sent a letter to U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Pete Buttigieg urging the execution of provisions from the Stop Underrides Act.
The legislation, which was part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, requires within a year of enactment a rule mandating trucks to have strengthened rear underride guards to stop cars from sliding underneath trucks in the event of a crash. It also requires the implementation of a study on the impact of side underride guards and the creation of a new Advisory Committee on Underride Protection.
Underride crashes occur when a car slides under the body of a truck, such as a semi-trailer, during a crash. The accidents often are fatal, even at low speeds, because the trailer undercarriage crashes through the windows and into the passengers, who often suffer severe head and neck injuries, including decapitation.
Hundreds of people are killed annually in underride accidents, but differences in local police reporting mean this figure is undercounted.
In coordination with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the lawmakers urged DOT to solicit public input and information for the agency’s side guard research efforts and set a performance standard for underride guards.