A bill that would help prevent underride crashes from occurring to drivers in California and across the United States has stalled out in Congress. The bill, which is titled the Stop Underrides Act of 2017, aims to reduce the number of underride crashes that occur each year by requiring underride guards on the front and sides of each commercial truck. The bill would also update the standard requirements for underride guards on the back of trucks and require the Department of Transportation to update its standards every five years.
Hundreds of people are injured or killed each year due to underride crashes. An underride crash occurs when a vehicle goes under the back of a tractor-trailer or semi-truck. Guards can help prevent the vehicle from going under the tractor trailer. Underride crashes have been found to have more serious consequences than read-ending crashes.
The bipartisan bill was first developed by a mom who lost two of her daughters during an underride truck accident. An investigation revealed that guards currently on commercial trucks are not enough to prevent an underride crash from occurring. In 2011, underride crashes caused 19 percent of fatalities between tractor-trailers and passenger vehicles. Both parents and politicians are pushing the bill to move forward in order to prevent accidents and fatalities from occurring.
Over 2,000 people are killed each year as a result of a crash with a tractor-trailer. These accidents often occur due to the negligence of the truck driver or of the truck driving company. When a truck driving company does not ensure that its vehicles are properly inspected prior to use, the company may be responsible for the accident. A Costa Mesa truck accident injury compensation law firm may be able to help those who were injured or killed in an underride crash receive monetary damages for their loss.
