Underride Tractor Trailer Accidents

Tractor-Trailer underride accidents occur when the front of a small passenger car contacts the rear or side of a truck trailer. The small passenger car is less than 30 inches above the ground, while the bed of the truck trailer is usually more than 45 inches off the ground. The passenger vehicle can go under or underride the trailer, causing serious injuries to the occupants of the passenger vehicle.

Standards have been put into place that require tractor-trailers designed after 1993 to be outfitted with reflective tape on both the rear and sides. Also, tractor-trailers designed after 1996 must have a rear bumper equipped at 22 inches above the ground. However, there are still thousands of tractor-trailers lacking proper safety underride additions.

Regardless of how equipped a tractor-trailer may be to prevent an underride accident, fatalities from underrides continue to occur. Reflective tape and adequate bumper heights are not enough to protect the drivers of passenger vehicles. These are some of the most fatal accidents, and many are caused by negligent trailer design, fatigued truck drivers and poorly trained drivers.