3 ms·

Europe has mandatory underride guards for this reason since 20+ years ago.

detuur 3y ago
I really thought this was missing in the article. I understand that it's about the situation in the US, but at the very least a comparative analysis could've been made how the US regulatory environment differs from others around the world.
berniedurfee 3y ago
Thanks, I was going to ask just this question. Maybe it was just my perception, but I remember driving in Germany (long time ago) and noting how trucks seemed to be driving at a reasonable speed over in the right lane. Very different from highways in the US where trucks typically drive as if they were just another sedan on the road.
KennyBlanken 3y ago
27 years ago in the US: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2004/11/05/04-24737/federal-motor-vehicle-safety-standards-rear-impact-guards https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2004/11/05/04-2473... ...and then updated two years later. Still watered down to the point of near uselessness in order to placate the trucking industry lobbyists.
- caf 3y ago
  I believe Europe has required side underride guards since the 1990s.
Archelaos 3y ago
50 years in Germany: A rear underride guard was made mandatory in Germany by a 1973 law for vehicles registered on or after 1 January 1975 with a carriage height of 55 cm or more above ground. Source: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unterfahrschutz_(Nutzfahrzeug)#Hinterer_Unterfahrschutz https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unterfahrschutz_(Nutzfahrzeug)... (in German)
RandallBrown 3y ago
The US has them, but I think it's only on the rear of the trailer. A quick image search shows guards on the sides of European trailers, which would have been helpful in the crash from the article.
- dubyah 3y ago
  The article does talk about US rear underride guards as well, but notes that they were inadequate for many years. I've driven past a hastily draped over fatality from such a collision in the 2000s and have kept a wide berth from trailers since.
inferiorhuman 3y ago
They're called Mansfield bars in the US, named after the actress Jane Mansfield who died after colliding with a trailer. They're not required federally and not particularly effective as they're generally not inspected or maintained.
- Gordonjcp 3y ago
  It's bonkers that the US named them but don't require them. They're called Mansfield Bars in the UK too, presumably because there isn't really a better or more descriptive name you can give them. There's probably an "official" name in some dusty Ministry of Transport document like "side protection collision bar" or some such, and TÜV probably calls it something like "Seitenaufprallschutzgerätüberlaufschutzausrüstung" or some damn thing.
  - rad_gruchalski 3y ago
    > TÜV probably calls it something like .. Hinterer Unterfahrschutz
  - inferiorhuman 3y ago
    Oh, looks like I got that wrong. Rear bars are required, but the US standards are well lower than the Canadian ones and periodic inspection isn't required. https://www.trucknews.com/features/are-standards-for-trailer-underride-guards-strong-enough/ https://www.trucknews.com/features/are-standards-for-trailer... https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/iihs-recognizes-semitrailers-with-good-underride-guards https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/iihs-recognizes-semitrailer...

I really thought this was missing in the article. I understand that it's about the situation in the US, but at the very least a comparative analysis could've been made how the US regulatory environment differs from others around the world.

berniedurfee 3y ago

Thanks, I was going to ask just this question. Maybe it was just my perception, but I remember driving in Germany (long time ago) and noting how trucks seemed to be driving at a reasonable speed over in the right lane. Very different from highways in the US where trucks typically drive as if they were just another sedan on the road.

KennyBlanken 3y ago

27 years ago in the US: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2004/11/05/04-24737/federal-motor-vehicle-safety-standards-rear-impact-guards https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2004/11/05/04-2473... ...and then updated two years later. Still watered down to the point of near uselessness in order to placate the trucking industry lobbyists.

caf 3y ago
I believe Europe has required side underride guards since the 1990s.

Archelaos 3y ago

50 years in Germany: A rear underride guard was made mandatory in Germany by a 1973 law for vehicles registered on or after 1 January 1975 with a carriage height of 55 cm or more above ground. Source: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unterfahrschutz_(Nutzfahrzeug)#Hinterer_Unterfahrschutz https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unterfahrschutz_(Nutzfahrzeug)... (in German)

RandallBrown 3y ago

The US has them, but I think it's only on the rear of the trailer. A quick image search shows guards on the sides of European trailers, which would have been helpful in the crash from the article.

dubyah 3y ago
The article does talk about US rear underride guards as well, but notes that they were inadequate for many years. I've driven past a hastily draped over fatality from such a collision in the 2000s and have kept a wide berth from trailers since.

inferiorhuman 3y ago

They're called Mansfield bars in the US, named after the actress Jane Mansfield who died after colliding with a trailer. They're not required federally and not particularly effective as they're generally not inspected or maintained.

Gordonjcp 3y ago
It's bonkers that the US named them but don't require them. They're called Mansfield Bars in the UK too, presumably because there isn't really a better or more descriptive name you can give them. There's probably an "official" name in some dusty Ministry of Transport document like "side protection collision bar" or some such, and TÜV probably calls it something like "Seitenaufprallschutzgerätüberlaufschutzausrüstung" or some damn thing.
- rad_gruchalski 3y ago
  > TÜV probably calls it something like .. Hinterer Unterfahrschutz
- inferiorhuman 3y ago
  Oh, looks like I got that wrong. Rear bars are required, but the US standards are well lower than the Canadian ones and periodic inspection isn't required. https://www.trucknews.com/features/are-standards-for-trailer-underride-guards-strong-enough/ https://www.trucknews.com/features/are-standards-for-trailer... https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/iihs-recognizes-semitrailers-with-good-underride-guards https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/iihs-recognizes-semitrailer...