Stateside safety • '11w US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
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has released a study showing that EEC standard underrun bumpers designed to stop cars sliding under the rear of trucks, are working well on British trucks. A detailed study of 10 accidents showed that none of the four crashes involving the guards resulted in serious underride while serious underride did occur in three of six crashes involving older guards.
For more than five years, the US Government has been considering a rule modelled on the European standard because the American rearguard is too high and has no strength requirement. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration claims that the cost of EEC-type guards would be prohibitive and is considering additional lighting and reflective tape as a substitute. The agency puts the additional cost of European-type guards at about $30.