Austin’s Road Safety Crisis: The Push for Side Underride Guards on Trucks
Austin, Texas – Road safety is taking center stage in Austin, as advocates are calling for new regulations to prevent deadly underride crashes. These gut-wrenching incidents have claimed countless lives, including those of a beloved local family just six years ago. The spotlight is now on improvements that could save lives and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is weighing its options.
Tragic Loss and the Need for Change
It was October 15, 2018, when tragedy struck for the Rosenberg family. Just two days earlier, 19-year-old Sophie Rosenberg had been celebrating at the Austin City Limits Music Festival and was full of life, excitement, and dreams as an engineering student at Texas A&M. Sadly, Sophie, along with her 62-year-old mother, Leslie Rosenberg, lost their lives in an underride crash when their minivan collided with a semi-trailer truck.
According to her husband Jay, it was around 3:20 a.m. when the truck driver failed to yield at a stop sign. “It happened so quickly,” he shared, his voice shaking with emotion. “My wife went under the truck, which tore, of course, the top of the van and they didn’t survive.” Any hopes for their survival were dashed as the airbags never deployed; the crash was too sudden.
Understanding the Danger of Underride Crashes
Underride crashes occur when a vehicle slides underneath a truck, often resulting in fatal consequences. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) estimates that these crashes kill around 500 people each year, a shocking figure that highlights the volume of lives at risk on America’s roads.
Jay described how the dark and steep conditions made the truck even less visible. “There’s a hill and it was dark and there were no lights there.” He emphasized that had there been even simple safety bars on the sides of the truck, it could have made a world of difference. “They might have had a chance,” he lamented.
Advocacy for Side Underride Guards
Advocates and safety experts are advocating for the installation of a device called a side underride guard. This simple yet effective safety feature is designed to prevent tragic events like the Rosenbergs’. According to Matthew Brumbelow, a senior research engineer at IIHS, “These devices could absolutely save lives.”
Testing has shown that side underride guards are highly effective at preventing vehicles from sliding underneath trucks during accidents. Yet, despite the promise of saving lives, the trucking industry remains resistant. The American Trucking Association has branded the requirement for such side guards as an excessive, “unfunded mandate” that could cost the industry upwards of $35 billion.
Counterpoint: The Cost of Inaction
While the trucking industry raises concerns about costs and operational changes, there’s a growing sentiment that it’s time to prioritize safety. The NHTSA is currently evaluating these arguments, and early estimates suggest that side underride guards could save about 17 lives annually and prevent numerous injuries. However, safety advocates believe the number could be much higher, possibly 200 lives each year.
The staggering question remains: why has it taken so long for these guards, which are relatively low-tech and straightforward to implement, to become a requirement? This kind of tragic loss is a painful reminder that the system needs to change.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Road Safety
Jay Rosenberg is not giving up hope. He is determined to make his voice heard and advocate for safety changes that could protect countless families. “Not only for my wife and daughter,” he declared. “But for countless other people.”
The push for side underride guards highlights a crucial aspect of road safety that must be addressed. As discussions continue within the NHTSA and Congress, it’s clear that the time for change is now. Road safety advocates and families affected by these tragedies are united in their quest to ensure that no family has to endure such heart-wrenching losses again.
