One easy such thing, is puttling a piece of metal over a tractor trailer’s wheel area, so you get deflected if you go under and not chewn up and spit out. It’s voluntary and few trucks have it on them yet but a bunch of little stuff like that could help.
I think the sides are where most of the accidents happen, yeah those skirts are supposed to deflect cars, looking for the pictures, I saw a couple of cars that hit them head on and went half under. I think it’s more for sideswipes.
Speak of the devil, I was driving today and I saw one of the rather flimsy looking sheet metal barriers that was totally just blown apart. Some of the barriers look more robust than others, you are right though some look super flimsy and this one appears to have been that.
One easy such thing, is puttling a piece of metal over a tractor trailer’s wheel area, so you get deflected if you go under and not chewn up and spit out. It’s voluntary and few trucks have it on them yet but a bunch of little stuff like that could help.
I thought those were for airflow. They do not look strong enough to deflect anything bigger than a bicycle.
in Europe they are law for safety.
https://www.propublica.org/article/underride-crashes-nhtsa-dot-iihs-safety-cars-trucks
I just saw one of these blockers the other day, almost all trucks do not have them though. I’m not sure what you are referring to exactly.
I wasn’t thinking of the big one in the back, sorry. I was referring to the long side skirts that run down the length of the trailer.
I think the sides are where most of the accidents happen, yeah those skirts are supposed to deflect cars, looking for the pictures, I saw a couple of cars that hit them head on and went half under. I think it’s more for sideswipes.
Sideswipe seems plausible. They just look so flimsy.
Speak of the devil, I was driving today and I saw one of the rather flimsy looking sheet metal barriers that was totally just blown apart. Some of the barriers look more robust than others, you are right though some look super flimsy and this one appears to have been that.
Saves countless lives.