The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently conducted tests of side-underride guards on semitrailers to determine if they can prevent a passenger vehicle from sliding beneath the side of a semi during a collision.
While rear-underride guards are widely tested, this is the first time a side guard has been reviewed.
The IIHS conducted two 35-mph crash tests.
During the first test, an AngelWing side-underride guard manufactured by Airflow Deflector was able to stop a passenger car, but during the second test a fiberglass side skirt would have resulted in fatal injuries in a real-life crash.
“Our tests and research show that side-underride guards have the potential to save lives,” David Zuby, IIHS executive vice president and chief research officer, said. “We think a mandate for side-underride guards on large trucks has merit, especially as crash deaths continue to rise on our roads.”
IIHS awarded the first TOUGHGUARD awards in March to five North American rear-underride guard manufacturers for having guards that meet the institute’s high standards.
A rear-underride guard is a metal bumper on the back of a semitrailer designed to prevent a smaller vehicle from sliding under the semi during a crash. There are federal standards for these devices, but the IIHS has found that many buckle or break during crash tests.