24 Jul Underride Guards & 18-Wheeler Accidents
The trucking industry is once again coming under fire due to a safety concern which, if fixed, could effectively save hundreds of lives each year. 18 wheeler trucks are required to have an underride guard which meets certain standards in order to provide protection to road users who would have otherwise been forced under a truck in the event of a rear-end accident.
What is an Underride Guard?
Simply put, an underride guard is a piece of metal found at the back of a truck which provides protection during a collision with another car which may strike the rear of a tractor trailer during an accident. Our Texas truck accident lawyers can help in such cases. If you have recently been in a vehicle collision, you may have to look for a reputable auto body repair shop for the necessary auto repair and restoration services. Those who have sustained car accident injuries should seek immediate medical attention.
Marianne Karth, a petitioner (who lost two children when the car they were driving in ended up crashing with the truck in front of them) is advocating for stricter laws to ensure that nobody else suffers a similar horrific event. A spokesman for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a statement saying that the body is currently looking into making some changes thanks to the results they’ve recently garnered due to a number of field tests they carried out, input from stakeholders as well as other pertinent data that came out of various observations over the last couple of years.
Rear End Collisions Can Be Fatal
Rear end collisions accounted for about 19 percent of all truck-accident related injuries on American roads; this number could have been much lower if measures had been taken towards ensuring that underride guards were installed and maintained in a manner that assured some form of uniformity as seen in most European (and some Asian) countries.
Long-term Solution Sought
Ted Scott, the director of engineering for the American Trucking Associations, Inc. says that while underride guards could be helpful in mitigating impact intensity during such accidents, a more long-term and sustainable solution would be for the NHTSA to ensure that they provide cars with the capability of avoiding crashes in the first place. As the debate rages on, stakeholders are hopeful that new legislation will be put in place as soon as possible in order to save lives across the board.
If you’ve been hurt in an accident with a truck that wasn’t your fault, please get in touch with Rasansky Law Firm at 1-877-659-1620 today.
1-877-659-1620
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