Luján, Gillibrand, Cohen, DeSaulnier, Ross Introduce Legislation to Protect Drivers from Fatal Tractor Trailer Truck Accidents

The Stop Underrides Act 2.0 would require side underride guards on new trucks and direct additional research and data collection about underride crashes
Washington, D.C. –U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and U.S. Representatives Steve Cohen (D-TN-9), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA-10), and Deborah Ross (D-NC-2) introduced the Stop Underrides Act 2.0, legislation to help prevent deadly truck underride crashes.
An underride crash occurs when a car slides under a large truck, such as a semi-trailer, during an accident. When these crashes happen, a car’s safety features are rendered useless because most of the car slides under the trailer and the trailer undercarriage crashes straight through the windows and into the passengers. The passengers in the car often suffer severe head and neck injuries, including decapitation. These accidents are frequently fatal, even at low speeds.
Studies and pilot programs show that a simple barrier attached to the lower area of a truck, called an “underride guard,” would help prevent a car from sliding underneath a truck in an accident. Under current federal law, unlike the rear of a truck, underride guards are not required to be on the sides or front of trucks. The Stop Underrides Act 2.0 would expand on current restrictions by instructing rulemaking to require side underride guards on new trucks, improving data collection, and directing additional research on underride crashes.
“I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing life-saving legislation to make our roads safer,”said Senator Luján.“The Stop Underrides Act will help prevent deadly underride crashes and protect families from tragic, preventable loss. I’m proud to partner with my colleagueson this important issue, and I look forward to working to get this bill signed into law.”
“Truck underride guards are one of the best and easiest solutions for protecting passengers during collisions with large trucks,”said Senator Gillibrand.“The Stop Underrides Act 2.0 is commonsense legislation that will protect passengers and make our roads safer. I look forward to working across the aisle to get this passed.”
“The Stop Underrides Act 2.0 would help prevent these terrible and too-often fatal truck-trailer accidents by ensuring that cars can no longer slide underneath trucks,”said Representative Cohen.“In introducing this legislation, I’m reminded of my constituents Randy and Laurie Higginbotham who lost their son in an underride crash in Memphis in 2014. The Stop Underrides Act 2.0 builds on important progress made in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and will save lives by helping to end these fatal crashes.”
“With truck underride collisions claiming the lives of at least 300 people per year, the time to act on reforms is now. Small changes will make a big difference, and we cannot leave any room for error,”said Congressman DeSaulnier. “I am proud to join my colleagues in advancing this bill to put an end to these avoidable tragedies.”
“Requiring trucks to have underride guards is a simple way to prevent hundreds of deaths on our roads,”said Congresswoman Ross.“These guards are a proven, effective safety measure that will reduce underride crashes as well as severe injuries and fatalities caused by underrides. I have heard directly from families in my district about the lives this improvement could save. I’m proud to introduce legislation that will prevent vehicle fatalities and make our roads safer for drivers in North Carolina and across the country.”
Specifically, this bill would:
In addition to Luján and Gillibrand, the Stop Underrides Act 2.0 is cosponsored in the Senate by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).
This bill is supported by the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, America Walks, AnnaLeah & Mary for Truck Safety, Cascade Bicycle Club, Casey Feldman Foundation, Center for Auto Safety, EndDistractedDriving.org, Families for Safe Streets, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, League of American Bicyclists, Institute for Safer Trucking, Kids and Car Safety, Ride Illinois, Ride of Silence, Road Safe America, Sylvia Bingham Fund, Safe Routes Partnership, Stop Underrides, and Truck Safety Coalition.
The full text of the bill can be foundhere.
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