Massachusetts nears rule for side underride guards

A transportation safety bill headed to the Massachusetts governor’s desk includes a mandate for side underride guards for certain trucks.

Since 2015, the city of Boston requires side guards on all city-contracted vehicles over 10,000 pounds, or tractor-trailer with a combined weight over 26,000 pounds. The ordinance also mandates affected vehicles have convex mirrors, cross-over mirrors, and blind-spot awareness decals.

Other cities to adopt mandates for city trucks include Chicago, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation Volpe Center.

Massachusetts bill

Massachusetts state lawmakers voted to send to Gov. Charlie Baker a bill to apply the side underride guard rule, or lateral protective device, to trucks owned or leased by the state.

The rule would take effect in 2023. Trucks contracted with the state must include the devices by 2025.

Additionally, trucks would be required to use backup cameras, convex mirrors, and cross-over mirrors.

The bill, H5103, defines affected state owned or contracted vehicles as a motor vehicle, trailer, semi-trailer or semi-trailer unit classified as Class 3 or above by the Federal Highway Administration, with a gross vehicle weight rating exceeding 10,000 pounds.

Advocates say the mandate is intended to prevent “vulnerable users” of the road from being run over in side collisions. They add that applying to rule to state-owned or contracted vehicles is a good place to begin.

Vulnerable users include motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians.

Related pursuits are ongoing at two other statehouses.

Pennsylvania

A Pennsylvania House bill would require certain commercial trucks and trailers throughout the state to use side underride systems.

The bill, HB2476, would require that large trucks and their trailers come equipped with the underride systems.

In an effort to justify the mandate, Rep. Angel Cruz, D-Philadelphia, cites a recommendation from the National Transportation Safety Board that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration require side underride systems on new trailers with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 10,000 pounds. Additionally, the agency recommended that new truck-tractors with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 26,000 pounds come equipped with the underride system.

The Truck Trailer Manufacturers Association has said there are important economic and technological challenges that must be solved in any effort to require side impact guards on trailers.

The group, an international trade association representing truck-pulled trailers manufactured in the United States, has pointed out that crash avoidance technologies for passenger vehicles is a more viable solution.

New Jersey

A New Jersey bill would require commercial vehicles registered in the state to be equipped with underride systems.

Sponsored by Assemblywoman Britnee Timberlake, D-East Orange, A3205 would prohibit the operation of a commercial vehicle unless it is equipped with an underride system consisting of devices installed on the front, rear, and sides.

Violators would face fines up to $100. Repeat offenders would face double fines.

OOIDA

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is opposed to any mandate for side underride systems.

Jay Grimes, OOIDA’s director of federal affairs, has said while rear-impact guards have been proven to provide a practical safety benefit, the same cannot be said for side and front underride systems.

OOIDA opposes state and/or federal pursuit to require costly front or side underrides for commercial vehicles. LL

More Land Line coverage of state news is available.