July 3, 2022 – The federal agency that oversees traffic safety has announced stronger protections to make sure cars don’t get wedged under tractor-trailers — eight years after officials first promised to address the issue.
The new rules strengthen the standards for rear underride guards that stop cars from going under trailers. They also set up a federal advisory committee to study the need for side guards, and to develop a requirement for such protections.
“The gap between what is proposed and what is needed is shocking,” said Truck Safety Coalition board member Jennifer Tierney, whose father was killed in an underride crash in 1983 in North Carolina. “There is no shortage of rear underride guards already in the marketplace that far exceeds the requirement proposed today. Sadly, this is a low bar to clear that will not move the needle on safety.”
