Compelling New Documentary Tells the Stories of Underride Victims & Their Families
Cool Breeze Studio has recently released a documentary, Save Lives – STOP Underrides, that tells the stories of underride victims and their families.
Underride Crash Test Event in Washington, D.C. , March 26, 2019
If you were not able to witness the Underride Crash Tests in D.C. in person on March 26, then the next best thing is to see the media coverage of this important event and to view the video footage of all three tests of a car colliding at approximately 30 mph with the side of a tractor-trailer:
- The first crash test was into a trailer with an AngelWing side guard — SUCCESSFUL because it prevented underride and Passenger Compartment Intrusion (PCI).
- The second crash test was into a trailer with a SafetySkirt side guard — SUCCESSFUL because it prevented underride and Passenger Compartment Intrusion (PCI).
- The third crash test was into a trailer with NO side guard (as is the situation with 99.9% of the trucks on the road today) — SUCCESSFUL in that the devastating underride which occurred clearly showed what it is that the other two tests so importantly prevented.
VIDEO FOOTAGE from MGA Research of all three crash tests can be seen here.
Join Team Stop Underrides!
The Stop Underrides! Bill was co-led and introduced 12/12/2017, by Senator Gillibrand and Senator Rubio in the Senate and Congressman Cohen and Congressman DeSaulnier in the House, in a bipartisan effort to stem the tide of truck underride fatalities. It was reintroduced on March 5, 2019.
It’s not a new problem! As long as cars and trucks have shared the road, vulnerable road users (VRU’s), motorcyclists and vehicle passengers have been crushed and killed when they get trapped under a trailer. It happened to my daughter, to the Karth daughters and countless other souls. Underride can happen to anyone…at anytime…in any place.
How can you help? Join Team Stop Underrides! Send us an email letting us know you’ll support this life saving legislation. Please call your Senators and representatives to express support. Let your legislators know that you want them to endorse the Stop Underrides Act! Ask for a Stop Underrides bumper sticker to help spread awareness. Reach out to family, friends, neighbors and coworkers – ask them to disseminate information to their network of family and friends.
Ultimately, it’s those that share the road with tractor trailers that will decide if they want to protect loved ones from truck underride. Life is precious – please help us mitigate the risk of death by comprehensive protection around tractor trailers!
Living With Grief
How do you ever get over the death of your child? You don’t! Sadness and loss are constant companions. I’m so grateful to God for the glorious memories I have of my precious daughter. Roya was beautiful, kind and so intelligent. Today, I’ve been reflecting on her sense of humor. She had a quick wit . . . laughter came frequently and so easy for Roya. I love thinking about her. . . remembering how special she was to me, her family and friends. People naturally gravitated to Roya because she was such a wonderful young lady. . . so many attributes. Roya’s untimely death was a HUGH loss for me and many others. The name Roya means dream – she feels like a very sweet dream. I miss her. . . so much . . . every day!
Can there be anything good that comes out of the loss of a loved one? It is my prayer that trailer manufacturers and trucking companies will voluntarily implement comprehensive underride protection. No other family should have to endure the profound loss and grief of a loved one. I’m hopeful that they will see the horror of underride deaths and will resolve to do something about it. I am praying that there will also be federal mandates to offer comprehensive protection for those we love. There will always be some companies that simply don’t care – profits are their priority- not human life. Truck underride is a hazard that has claimed countless lives- we MUST act now! Hundreds are needlessly dying every year! For sure, it takes integrity, character, strength and backbone to do what’s right. The RAMCUP ACT of 2017 is an effort to protect families from the pain and heartache I have experienced. Without a doubt – if truck underride could take the life of my child – everyone is vulnerable to this disaster. It doesn’t matter who is at fault – what matters is to mitigate the risk of truck underride fatalities. Together we CAN bring an end to the underride debacle.
What is an acceptable goal_ North Carolina Vision Zero – YouTube
NPR Interview
Benefits of side underride guards for semitrailers
Side Underride Crashes Kill 200 People a Year. Will Congress Act?
A news story that includes an interview with Lois Durso about her daughter’s tragic death:
It’s one of the most devastating traffic accidents: A car slams into the side of a tractor-trailer and crashes underneath, where many of its safety features are rendered worthless. The top of the vehicle may be sheared off; in many cases, the occupants are decapitated.
Side Underride Crashes Kill 200 People a Year. Will Congress Act?
Moms Who Lost Daughters In Truck Underride Collisions Push for Greater Safety
A news story about Lois Durso’s quest for safer trucks:
Marianne Karth and Lois Durso are two mothers on a mission to prevent truck underride collisions. Underride crashes — when a car collides with a truck and gets lodged underneath — are among the most fatal types of accidents on the road. A vehicle’s passenger compartment is often crushed or ripped off.
Read the whole thing: Moms Who Lost Daughters In Truck Underride Collisions Push for Greater Safety