# Stop Underrides Act

Every year, hundreds of people die in accidents involving large trucks when smaller vehicles slide underneath them during crashes. These tragic incidents are called "underride accidents," and they're almost always fatal because the smaller vehicle gets crushed under the truck's trailer. The Stop Underrides Act is designed to prevent these accidents by requiring trucks to have better safety barriers.

Here's what the bill does: It mandates that large commercial trucks install or upgrade underride guards—basically metal barriers attached to the sides and rear of trailers that prevent smaller cars from sliding underneath during collisions. Currently, trucks are required to have rear underride guards, but these are often inadequate, and side guards aren't required at all. This bill would strengthen the standards for rear guards and require side guards on all new trailers. The barriers need to be strong enough to actually stop a vehicle from going underneath, not just slow it down.

Who does this affect? Primarily, it affects trucking companies and manufacturers who will need to install better safety equipment on their vehicles. However, the real beneficiaries are everyday drivers and their families. If you drive a car, motorcycle, or smaller vehicle on highways where large trucks operate, this bill could literally save your life. Underride accidents are particularly common on highways during traffic jams or when visibility is poor. The bill also affects truck drivers themselves, since preventing these catastrophic accidents protects everyone on the road.

The practical impact is straightforward: better safety equipment on trucks means fewer fatal crashes. While trucking companies will face costs to upgrade their fleets, the human cost of doing nothing is far higher—dozens of preventable deaths every year that could be eliminated with proper barriers.

Stop Underrides Act

Gillibrand, Kirsten E.

Stop Underrides Act This bill requires the installation of rear, side, and front underride guards on certain trucks and trailers. Specifically, the Department of Transportation (DOT) must require the installation of rear, side, and front underride guards on the following <ul> <li>a trailer or semi-trailer that is more than 10,000 pounds, and </li> <li>a single unit truck for which the bottom of the carriage is greater than 22 inches above the ground and that is more than 10,000 pounds. </ul> For rear and side underride guards, DOT must require adherence to a performance standard that requires the guards to be able to prevent intrusion from the body or frame of a trailer, semi-trailer, or truck into the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle that contacts the guard while traveling at 35 miles per hour. In addition, DOT must require drivers to (1) conduct a pre-trip inspection of the underride protection system on their vehicles; (2) identify rusted metal compromising structural integrity, cracked welds, or missing or loose fasteners; and (3) complete any necessary repairs. DOT must establish a Committee on Underride Protection to oversee the ongoing underride guard rulemaking process. DOT must publish data on victims of truck underride crashes.