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Photos show dangers of side underride accidents with semi-trailers

These are accident photos used by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in Ruckersville, Virginia for its study on side underride study published in 2012. The study found that strong side underride guards have the potential to reduce injury. 

Credit: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

These are accident photos used by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in Ruckersville, Virginia for its study on side underride study published in 2012.


The study found that strong side underride guards have the potential to reduce injury risk in about three-fourths of large truck side crashes producing a death or serious injury to a passenger vehicle occupant. This proportion increased to almost 90 percent when restricted to crashes with semi trailers.

Federal law requires large trucks to have rear underride guards but not side underride guards. But a separate IIHS study found even rear guards that meet the federal standard often don’t stop underride crashes as designed.

The IIHS has petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to pass new regulations requiring stronger rear guards, and may petition NHTSA to pass side guard regulations as well based on its 2012 study.

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