IIHS Pushes for Tougher Under-Ride Guards Safety Regulations

After for the past two years the targets of safety organizations in the US have been passenger cars and distracted driving, the obvious progress made has determined them to turn their attention towards big trucks, now considered to be more than a menace for the safety of traffic.

With tougher overall safety regulations for these types of vehicles being in the works with various organizations, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has asked the US lawmakers to come up with stricter regulations on the under-ride guards on tractor-trailers.

According to the IIHS, this component of big rigs is a deadly hazard for those involved in a crash, failing almost always after an impact. Used to prevent the deaths and injuries which occur when a passenger vehicle crashes into the back of a tractor-trailer, the guards seem to don more harm than good.

The tests conducted by the IIHS show that the guards can fail in relatively low speed crashes. In 2009, out of the 3,163 people who died in all large truck crashes, 70 percent were occupants of the passenger cars which rear-ended the semis. In this type of crashes, one of the worst ways to go by being decapitated after the guard failed..

"Hitting the back of a large truck is a game-changer," said the IIHS in a statement. "You might be riding in a vehicle that earns top marks in frontal crash tests, but if the truck's under-ride guard fails - or isn't there at all - your chances of walking away from even a relatively low-speed crash aren't good."

The organization is asking the lawmakers to toughen the standards the guard rails must meet before being approved and force more types of large vehicles to be fitted with them.