Side and rear guards may help to reduce the rate of certain kinds of accidents.
Small cars are more popular than ever. Using a smaller car is a great way to reduce costs and the impact on the environment. But as these cars become more prevalent on the roadways, they may raise a new concern — the possibility of under-ride accidents.
Under-ride accidents are a type of collision with big rig or tractor trailers where a small vehicle hits into the back or side of a truck and then travels underneath it. As a result of the force of the impact, the roof and/or passenger compartment can be sheared off of the car, causing incredibly grave or even fatal injuries.
Under-ride accidents have become less common in recent years as bigger vehicles have become more common, but they are still a danger. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is attempting to further reduce the incidence of these accidents with new regulations that would require under-ride protection for both the sides and the rear of all tractor trailer trucks.
Technically, rear guards have been required on trucks for more than fifty years. However, these guards are not always sufficient to prevent under-ride accidents, and they can sometimes fail in collisions. The proposed regulations would require much stronger under-ride guards on both the back and sides on trucks to prevent these types of accidents.
The owners of trucking companies oppose these regulations, as they believe that adding these guards would be expensive. Adding the guards to the sides of the trucks and changing the rear guards would also add significant weight to trucks, which means that they could then carry less weight overall — reducing the amount of cargo that each truck could carry on a trip. This would make trucking a far less profitable business.
We already see a number of trucking accidents due to drivers attempting to meet unrealistic driving goals in order to increase profits. If trucking companies believe that these guards cut into their profit margins even further, will they make even tighter schedules for their drivers, resulting in more drivers going without sleep, drinking too much caffeine, or driving too many hours without a break? Could this rule have the opposite effect of causing more accidents?
It remains to be seen how requiring additional guards to prevent under-ride accidents will work in practice. These types of accidents are incredibly dangerous, and can be fatal for anyone involved. Guards are a good way to prevent these accidents from happening. Additional regulations to encourage better driver training and safe driving practices, along with mandating driver rest and sleep schedules would also help to reduce the rate of truck accidents in the United States.
Truck accidents can be devastating. If you have been involved in an accident involving a big rig, please know that there is help. Contact the Law Offices of Larry H. Parker at 800-333-0000 or info@larryhparker.com to schedule a free initial consultation. Our experienced truck accident attorneys will advise you of your rights and your options, and will protect your right to compensation. We have a 95% success rate, and have recovered more than $2 billion dollars on behalf of our clients. We never charge a fee unless we recover money for you!
