Most of you have probably seen the rear guards on the back of a tractor- trailer and not paid much attention to them. For those involved in a rear end collision with a tractor-trailer, those guards may represent the difference between life and death. They are designed to prevent a car from sliding under the trailer upon impact. If proper rear guards are in place, your bumper should impact the rear guard. Your bumper is designed to absorb considerably more force than your windshield (or your head) and therefore reduce the amount of force your body receives.
In 1996 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) required trucks with GVWR over 10,000 and manufactured after January 26, 1998 be equipped with underride guards with strength testing and energy absorption requirements. Rear guards had been required since 1952, but prior to 1998 they didn't have to meet energy absorption requirements or strength testing. Also, the 1998 changes require now that the rear guards be no more than 22 inches above the ground, no more than 4 inches from each side of the trailer, and no more than 12 inches offset from the rear plane of the trailer.
Preliminary data suggest these new guidelines are reducing fatalities and serious injuries to person involved in tractor-trailer wrecks. The report can be found at
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811375.pdf
The NHTSA allows public comment on this report for 120 days from the date of report. The comment period will end March 8, 2011. If anyone wants to comment on this report, they can do so at the following site:
http://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2010/11/08/2010-28111/federal-motor-vehicle-safety-standards-rear-impact-guards-rear-impact-protection-technical-report-on
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