Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA) joined other lawmakers this week to introduce the bipartisan, bicameral Stop Underrides Act of 2017, which would help prevent deadly truck underride crashes.
An ‘underride crash’ occurs when a car collides with a truck and gets lodged underneath. These collisions are among the most fatal types of collisions on the road.
Studies and pilot programs show that when a simple barrier, known an ‘underride guard,’ is attached to the lower area of a truck it can help prevent a car from sliding underneath a truck in an accident, according to Congressman DeSaulnier. Under current federal law, underride guards are required to be installed on the back of a truck, but the standards are outdated, and these guards are not currently required to be installed on the sides or front of trucks.
The Stop Underrides Act of 2017 requires underride guards to be installed on the sides and front of a truck and that the outdated standards for underride guards on the back of trucks are updated. Additionally, the bill requires that during the annual inspection for all large trucks, underride guards are included as part of the inspection and would require the Department of Transportation to review underride standards every five years to evaluate the need for changes in response to advancements in technology.
“Over 300 people are killed each year from truck underride collisions, and these collisions are often underreported, it is time to act. No mother or father should see their child’s life cut short by an accident that could have been prevented with commonsense safety improvements. Fatalities from motor vehicle accidents in California increased 13 percent from 2015 to 2016, and this bill is an important step towards making our roads safer,” said Representative DeSaulnier. Victims and families affected by such crashes may also benefit from consulting an experienced 18 wheeler accident lawyer to understand their legal rights and pursue compensation.
If you really want to stop people from dieing. Ban driving.
Or people could just pay attention on the road and not tailgate or stay within the blind spots of a big rig. Give these truckers the room they need.
I have a great idea instead of this ….how about NOT tail gating for starters. This not only goes for tail gating trucks but cars as well
Amen.
At least 3 to 6 car lengths for starters.
As DeSaulnier said years ago…. “there ought to be a law…”.
I have an idea – let’s make more laws.
Thank God! Finally! I’ve been losing sleep and having horrible nightmares about sliding under Big Rigs during an accident. Looks like Congressman Desaulnier is on the ball and at the top of his game once again. I’m sure all of the out of state truckers will willingly comply and have no problem spending the money to retrofit their trucks so they can travel throughout the Nanny State. Can’t wait to see how the “Hive of incompetence” in Sacramento votes on this Legislation.
The gas tax that the idiot Dems put in place is hurting truck drivers already. Now this nitwit wants them to add additional equipment on their trucks – which adds additional weight – which adds to their fuel consumption to drive – which adds to their overall costs to drive. I think Jerry Brown and all of these other morons should come out of their caves and try living in the real world for a few months and learn what California really needs. Put money towards more police – Christ, people are assaulted and robbed everyday! You try to have coffee and read your emails and some jerk grabs your laptop. Bart is a war zone and filthy, but if take your car anywhere – you come back to find the windows smashed out. Homeless druggies camping wherever they want bringing diseases and more crime. Homeless even started a wild fire in SoCal that burned down 6 houses and damaged 4 others. But the Dems with their blinders on – can’t see anything except finding new ways to penalize working people (like truckers), and make us pay for more and more criminals and deadbeats. Mark, make a New Years resolution to get your head out of your a$$ and see what’s really going on around you.
@SF oh – High five to ya! I agree with each and every word you say!!!
State is run completely by Democrats, when are the going to fix anything.
How about teaching people how to drive around trucks? Most drivers seem to turn into complete idiots when they come within 200 feet of one.
Instead of this new law why not start cracking down on all the crappy drivers out there. Driving habits have gotten horrible over the last year with more and more dangerous driving tactics out there. More cutting in and out of traffic more tailgating more speeding and passing in the right lane and no one ever stoops at a stop sign anymore and you can always count on a few cars to go through the intersection when your light turns green. We need heavier traffic enforcement if you really want to save life’s. Marky is way out of touch of what’s going on the roads. Cut this type of driving out and there would be less cars going under trucks with out raising the costs for truckers to modify there trailers. Along with that more car stops more crime prevented, stolen cars would go down higher risk of being caught city to city gang banging would go down. Better chance of being caught. Less chance of being in a wreck at a intersection better chance of gett g caught running that light or stop sign. As it is now it’s a free for all on the roads
I have a better idea. Let’s make getting a driver’s license harder, instead of handing them out like candy. Many other countries have way better driver’s training courses than we do in the US. As far as I know, Mexico doesn’t even require a course or test. (you do the math on this).
The democrats answer to everything is always the same – make a law, add tax, don’t enforce.
desaultiner only does what dems tell him to do no more-so thay can all profit and desaultiner continues receiving his paycheck and more.
all people who voted for him are so so happy !!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Anyone ever hear of brakes?
How about not speeding, texting while driving, paying attention to road conditions and traffic and all that other stuff they talk about in the DMV handbook? Or do people just chew the cover?
People need to be responsible for themselves.
Legislators like De Stupid will always try to legislate peoples behaviour which simply another failure of government.
If the costs are reasonable, and it could be implemented during construction, perhaps it’s worthy of consideration.
One thing I LOVE about Claycord “comments”, is the positive vibes just flowing out without vitriol or hate – nothing but love here… 😉
check out;
https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&authuser=0&biw=1536&bih=714&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=lf43WrmaFqme0gLhtoGYDg&q=Underride+protective+device&oq=Underride+protective+device&gs_l=psy-ab.3…29361.29361.0.29621.1.1.0.0.0.0.88.88.1.1.0….0…1c.1.64.psy-ab..0.0.0….0.lpekFzWsh_I
We had a friend’s 18 year old daughter die recently on 680, when the car she was riding in crashed into the back of such a truck, without back lights on the tractor trailor. Lets get this law passed ASAP.
Does this guy just throw crap against a wall to see what sticks? How about introduce a $1000 fine for cell phone use while driving. I see 1 in 3 people driving distracted these days.
Thank you.
I was under the impression that this was already a law and has been for years. It was put in place after the Jayne Mansfield crash in Louisiana in 1967. Her children, including Law and Orders Mariska Hargitay, were in the back seat and were spared because they were short.
The children were spared because they were sleeping in the back seat. All three adults in the front seat were killed. I miss the days where cars had full bench seats.
The ICC bumper, aka Mansfield bar, is now seen on all trucks and trailers. However, they are only on the back of the trailer. This proposal is for bumpers on the sides of the trailers.
Uh oh, it sounds like the tractor trailer industry has not paid their protection money to the democrats.
How about we just ban trucks. After all, Mark thinks that’s the answer to preventing firearm deaths.
We should also ban eating. More people die from choking then big rig accidents. So many lives saved by causing mass starvation!
Democrats=blame the device, not the user of the device.
Hook em up to smart carts.
I support this and I support this guy.
I also appreciate that like me, he is fighting cancer and hopes to manage his incurable leukemia. Do you really think he’s even bothered by snide remarks left on message boards?
I’m a cancer patient too. Hopefully, I will be able to call myself a cancer survivor some day but it’s too soon to tell right now. I took two weeks off work after surgery and have continued to work during treatment ….. I had no choice as I am a middle-class, working stiff who doesn’t get handed anything for free. I’m sorry that Mr. DeSaulnier is battling cancer, believe me, I know how hard it is. However, it’s no excuse for phoning-it-in at his job. I’m sure he has excellent doctors and never has to wait for anything. Prob goes to treatments in a limo. Those of us in the middle class who are paying the bills for everyone in this State, can’t afford anymore of these flights of fancy ideas the Dems keep proposing .
Probably as good as his high-speed rail oh wait turned out to be just a regular rail
Stop driving under trucks.
How bout a law requiring stupid people can’t drive instead?
That would get rid of 99% of the problem…
Beyond ignorant observation even for liberals,how about you put on your make-up and make your phone calls/texts before you get in your car and risk the safety of yourselves and others on the road?
Poor little Marky Mark, trying so desperately to be noticed.
Idiotic statement after idiotic statement.
Idiotic bill after idiotic bill.
Pathetic!
Drive a V8 AMERICAN car from the early – mid 1990s this isn’t a problem.
Get these big rigs off the road. Some of them drive to fast and tailgate, then they can’t stop. Too many big unroadworthy vehicles hauling crap too. All of these vehicles impact the flow of traffic which is becoming non-existent in California in favor of sitting in traffic.
Some car drivers drive too fast and tailgate, too. Should we get all cars off the road?
Get big rigs off the road? Who do you think transports your every day needs like gasoline,groceries,building supplies,medical supplies etc etc etc.
Mark, When are you going to do something that is actually useful?
How about working on traffic? Or more water storage for the next drought? Or the sorry state of education? Or illegal immigration?
How about just a safety zone around trucks. They do it for bicycles
Thank you Congressman
Here goes the Democratic party again, trying to save its stupid members who tail gate from killing themselves or others.
Don’t forget this is the same party that raised the gas tax!
Why not use the money to teach kids learning how to drive the laws of physics.
Another attempt by Government to protect people from themselves.