November 23, 2011 (Press-News.org) Underride accidents, which occur when a car hits the back of a truck and slides underneath it, are among some of the deadliest accidents on America's roads. Studies show that 350 people around the country are killed each year from underrides -- and those who do survive sustain long-term, devastating injuries.
According to a study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), these types of accidents may be prevented when rear impact guards are used on trucks -- which can save those in passenger vehicles because they prevent the car from sliding underneath a truck. However, when the organization conducted crash tests of vehicles in the United States and Canada, the findings proved that the United States did not have underride guards that were strong enough to prevent these tragic accidents -- even when the vehicles traveled at relatively low speeds.
As a result, the IIHS has urged the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to strengthen the guidelines for underride guards in the United States -- noting that Canadian drivers are safer because of stronger regulation.
"Underride standards haven't kept pace with improvements in passenger vehicle crashworthiness," the organization's President, Adrian Lund, said in a statement. "Absent regulation, there's little incentive for manufacturers to improve underride countermeasures, so we hope NHTSA will move quickly on our petition."
Common Causes for Trucking Accidents in Florida
From 1986 to 2009, underride accidents killed 153 motorists in Florida. However, insufficient underride guards are far from the only reason that Florida's roads -- like I-95, I-408 and I-528 -- have trucking accident fatalities. Among the other reasons for truck accidents in Florida are:
- driver fatigue
- poorly maintained vehicles
- deficiencies in truck driver training
- speeding
- driving in an aggressive manner
If you have been injured in a trucking accident, or if a loved one was killed in an accident with a truck, it's best to contact a knowledgeable personal injury attorney. You may be able to receive damages for your injuries -- which will help with medical costs or paying for funeral arrangements.
Article provided by The Law Office of Scott M. Miller
Visit us at www.scottmillerlawgroup.com
Underride Guard Standards Need Strengthening, Study Finds
Underride accidents, which occur when a car hits the back of a truck and slides underneath it, are deadly. Studies show that these accidents may be prevented when rear impact guards are used on trucks.
2011-11-23
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[Press-News.org] Underride Guard Standards Need Strengthening, Study FindsUnderride accidents, which occur when a car hits the back of a truck and slides underneath it, are deadly. Studies show that these accidents may be prevented when rear impact guards are used on trucks.