Analysts have found that in many of the car accidents, the upper part of the car's vehicle cabin crushed as it collided with the back of the large truck and then slid underneath the back end of the tractor-trailer. The same crushing effect was not found in collisions involving two passenger cars because front-end structures were able to distribute most of the impact and force and injuries were minimized.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has released statistics that show an average of 423 people die each year and another 5,000 are injured when passenger cars rear-end tractor-trailer trucks. Using the 2010 Chevy Malibu, the IIHS tested several different under-ride guards. The car was crashed into the rear of a parked tractor-trailer at different speeds to see if some under-ride guards performed better than others. The results showed that the under-ride guards are poorly designed and result with serious injury to potential passengers. They then tested the under-ride guards that met the more stringent Canadian standards against the American standard guard and the result was the better designed and more durable Canadian guard kept the car from sliding under the truck, while the American standard guard did not.
The IIHS has shown evidence that tractor-trailers in the U.S. should have to have under-ride guards similar to those that meet the Canadian standard in order to prevent more fatalities when passenger cars rear-end the trucks. Having these guards will help prevent the cabin of the car from being crushed and potentially saving the lives of those in the lower riding vehicle. Without stricter regulations on the under-ride guards, the fatality and injury rate will not decrease.
Have You Been Injured In A South Carolina Area Truck Accident?
If you or a loved one was injured in a commercial truck accident in South Carolina, you should speak with a truck accident lawyer as soon as possible. Contact us online or call our Charleston, South Carolina office directly at 843.488.2359 to schedule your consultation. We are also able to meet clients at our Conway, Myrtle Beach, Murrells Inlet, Mt. Pleasant, North Myrtle Beach or North Charleston office locations.
