Side Guard on Semitrailer Prevents Underride in 40 Mph Test
An aftermarket device that attaches to the sides of a tractor-trailer successfully prevented a midsize car from sliding underneath the trailer in a 40 mph crash test conducted Tuesday by the
It was the second time IIHS had tested the AngelWing device produced by
The latest test was conducted during the Institute's second roundtable on the problem of truck underride crashes. Held at the
Underride occurs when a smaller vehicle crashes into a truck and goes completely or partially underneath it, increasing the likelihood of serious injuries to people riding in the smaller vehicle. Tractor-trailers are required under federal regulations to have underride guards on their rears, but not on their sides. Of the 1,542 deaths of passenger vehicle occupants in crashes with tractor-trailers in 2015, 301 involved the side of a tractor-trailer, compared with 292 that involved the rear.
"Our tests of the AngelWing show that measures to reduce the side underride problem are within reach," says
In Tuesday's test, a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu struck the center of a 53-foot-long dry van trailer at 40 mph. The outcome was similar to the 35 mph test with the AngelWing. The side guard bent but didn't allow the car to go underneath the trailer, and the car's airbags and safety belt properly restrained the dummy in the driver seat. Measures taken from the dummy showed there would be a low likelihood of injuries in a similar real-world crash.
In contrast, in a second 35 mph test conducted earlier this year with no side guard, the Malibu ended up lodged under the trailer with part of its roof torn off. In a real crash like that, there would likely be no survivors in the car.
The AngelWing is a result of a collaboration that came out of the first underride roundtable, held in
While side guards that can prevent passenger vehicle underride are relatively new, lighter-weight guards to protect bicyclists and pedestrians are more common. At least three
Side underride guards were the focus of Tuesday's roundtable, which also touched on progress in addressing rear underride and the role of crash avoidance technologies in reducing underride fatalities.
"When people talk about Vision Zero, often what comes to mind is the potential for self-driving vehicles to eliminate crashes entirely," says
Making rear underride guards more effective is another improvement that would be relatively easy to accomplish today. IIHS research has shown that guards meeting the federal standard don't always do a good job of preventing underride, particularly when the smaller vehicle hits the rear of the truck off-center. IIHS conducts tests of rear guards, crashing a midsize car into the back of a tractor-trailer in three different configurations. Manufacturers of trailers that prevent underride in all three tests earn the IIHS Toughguard award.
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