A bill to reduce the number of preventable deaths and injuries caused by underride crashes, to improve motor carrier and passenger motor vehicle safety, and for other purposes.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · March 5, 2019
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
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 must require the installation of rear, side, and front underride guards on the following: a trailer or semi-trailer that is more than 10,000 pounds, and 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. 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.
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