Latest Blogs

According to the Governor's Highway Safety Association, there were 15,329 police-reported collisions in which passenger vehicles collided with the rears of tractor trailers in the four-year period between 2005 and 2009, about 3,065 annually.  Further reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA),  large-truck rear impacts comprised 19 percent of fatal two-vehicle collisions in 2011. 

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) performed tests of vehicles travelling 35 miles per hour and published their findings in 2011.  These tests involved passenger vehicles colliding with the rears of trailers.  The tests included 50 percent overlap tests and 30 percent overlap tests. IIHI stated that these tests were important because they represent real-world crashes resulting in severe injury. IIHS statistics from 2013 show there have been 43 deaths in Florida as the result of passenger vehicle collisions with the rear of trailers. The tests demonstrated that rear underride guards (bars located on the back of semi trucks) mandated for trailers by NHTSA in 1998 performed poorly and that stronger underride guards currently available on the market provided somewhat better protection.

The underride guards were designed to stop cars, which are lower to the ground, from going under semi trucks when there are crashes.  Trucks are required by law to have underride guards. Sixteen years ago regulations for making the bars lower and longer went into effect. Vehicle designs continue to change; however, the underride guards have not changed as yet.

In April 2014, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommended to the NHTSA that new requirements for rear underride protection systems be adopted for newly manufactured trailers. New trailers, with gross vehicle weight ratings over 10,000 pounds, would have the improved under-ride protection systems. The improved systems would be installed to help provide protection of passenger vehicle occupants from fatalities and serious injuries resulting from full-width and offset trailer rear impacts.

The Truck Safety Coalition (TSC) backs stronger guards on the rear of semi trucks, but also wants to see guards on the front and sides to help prevent crashes.  John Lannen, Executive Director of TSC said, "With an improved standard the rear guard will be stronger and lower to the ground, and therefore prevent cars from going underneath the truck."

"Driver and passenger safety is always of utmost importance. Every day Interstate 75 which runs north/south through Southwest Florida, carries a lot of traffic.  This traffic often includes, fast moving, semi-trucks. Smaller vehicles need to be careful and remain undistracted," says Collier County Accident Attorney, Randall Spivey of Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A.

Charlotte County Accident Attorney, Randall L. Spivey is a Board Certified Trial Attorney – the highest recognition for competence bestowed by the Florida Bar and a distinction earned by just one (1%) percent of Florida attorneys.  He has handled over 2,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout Florida.  For a free and confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights, contact the Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., in Lee County at 239.337.7483 or toll free at 1.888.477.4839,or by email to Randall@SpiveyLaw.com.  Visit SpiveyLaw.com for more information.  You can contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A.in Charlotte County at 941.764.7748 and in Collier County 239.793.7748.