Semi-Truck Underride Guards: What Are They and Are They Needed?
Every year, roughly 500,000 truck-related accidents occur in the United States. With this high of a number, it is important that semi-trucks are properly equipped to protect the passengers who collide with these trucks.
Underride guards are installed underneath semi-truck trailers to prevent vehicles from sliding underneath trailers, helping to protect the lives of the passengers inside the vehicle.
Find out more about these guards and if they are needed on all semi-trucks from your Houston law firm.
What Are Underride Guards?
If you travel frequently on the road, it is likely that you have seen dozens of semi-trucks, and have held your breath a little as you pass by these gargantuan vehicles.
Semi-trailer truck collisions can happen when a driver is being reckless when traveling close to one. These crashes can send a vehicle underneath the semi-truck and shear off the top of the vehicle.
Thankfully, there are metal bars formed in a u-shape underneath the semi-truck trailer that prevents a car from sliding underneath the trailer. These metal bars are called underride guards.
Why Are They Needed?
Underride guards are put underneath semi-truck trailers to protect passengers and prevent fatalities in underride collisions. These underride guards serve as protection for the following reasons:
Barriers — These guards prevent other vehicles from sliding underneath trailers during truck accidents. These types of accidents occur when a vehicle is following too closely behind or the truck driver is not paying attention to the road and suddenly slams on the brakes.
Impact Absorbers — In underride collisions, the force is exerted from the impact of the trailer onto the upper compartment crushing the windshield, roof of the car, and everything in between. When the underride guards are in place, the impact is sent to the front of the vehicle where it can be managed.
Because of the importance of underride guards, they are required on all large commercial tractor-trailers by federal law and are subject to federal strength and safety standards.
In April of 2019, the U.S Government Accountability Office (GOA) recommended that truck underride guards undergo inspection to ensure they are meeting federal safety standards and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration agreed.
Guard and Protect Your Loved Ones From Underride Truck Accidents
Although truck underride guards can prevent fatal crashes, there is still a possibility that crashes can happen due to driver negligence or weather conditions. If you or a loved one have been the victim of an underride collision, you deserve to be compensated for the physical, emotional, and mental damages that can occur from such a traumatic crash. The party at fault should be held liable for the pain and suffering you have gone through.
By seeking the service of an experienced car accident attorney, you can put the stress of the accident behind you and allow your attorney to handle your claim from start to finish. An experienced attorney can find out if the truck company was following federal regulations and hold them liable if they were negligent. Many factors go into underride collisions and your attorney can help you seek justice and compensation for your accident.