Improving Underride Protection

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has cast a spotlight on the current federal standard for truck underride guards, which it says is woefully inadequate.

The IIHS, which is funded by the insurance industry, conducted a series of crash tests using a midsize Chevy Malibu and three different trailer models widely used on U.S. highways. The car was traveling 35 mph during the tests.

Two of the three trailers in the test carried rear underride guards built to the Canadian standard, which actually is tougher than the U.S. version, while the third trailer met the U.S. standard.

The institute provided disturbing video of the crash tests, which showed that the guard designed to the U.S. standard crumpled in a direct hit. The collision allowed the car to smash into the rear platform of the trailer, crushing the passenger compartment far into the car. Surely, any front-seat occupants would have been gravely injured or killed in that crash.

Of the two Canadian-version guards, some of the direct tests provided the desired result: The car was stopped as only a small portion of the hood slipped under the rear of the trailer. In other tests, the car went farther than desired but stopped short of crushing the crash dummy in the front seat.

Off-center crash results were even worse, in terms of the damage done to the cars.

Now, there’s no question that the ideal solution would be to prevent all rear-end crashes. Getting all drivers to slow down and pay attention — to stop texting and dialing their cell phones, for example — would be of great help in this regard.

Other ways to reduce the number of cars that run into the back of trucks would be to reduce congestion by investing in our highway infrastructure and by ensuring that there is adequate parking for truck drivers so they can get off the highway when they need to rest, which would eliminate trucks parked on highway shoulders.

While it’s obvious that the blame for most rear-end crashes rests with the striking vehicle, we still need to support change that can help reduce injuries and save lives, without placing an onerous burden on fleets.

The IIHS definitely has shown us that the current U.S. standard for underride guards is clearly inadequate. It’s time to update this standard, and we’re confident that the nation’s trailer makers would quickly adopt the new rules, and at a reasonable cost.