WASHINGTON, D.C. — A renewed push in Congress aims to prevent hundreds of deaths each year caused by truck underride crashes, with grieving mothers who lost their daughters in such collisions now leading the legislative effort.

The Stop Underrides Act 2.0 would require newly manufactured tractor-trailers to install side underride guards in addition to the rear guards already found on most trucks. An underride crash occurs when a passenger vehicle slides underneath a trailer, often shearing off the top of the car and causing catastrophic or fatal injuries. Such crashes kill at least 600 people each year, according to advocates.

"It's not the crash that kills. It's the underride," said Lois Durso-Hawkins, who lost her daughter in one of those collisions more than 20 years ago. "Her part of the car went underneath the tractor trailer, and as a result of that, she didn't make it to the hospital." Durso-Hawkins said she had no idea vehicles could slide beneath trailers until it happened to her own family. "I had no idea that cars could go underneath a trailer and it would be the end of their life."

Beyond highway crashes, the legislation would also protect pedestrians and cyclists. In urban settings, trucks turning onto side streets can mount curbs, trapping people beneath their tires. Side guards would deflect individuals away from the vehicle rather than allowing them to be pulled under. The bill also seeks to strengthen rear guard standards and enhance data collection and research into underride crashes.

Durso-Hawkins began advocating for underride protections after her daughter's death, eventually teaming up with Marianne Karth, another mother who lost two daughters in a similar crash. Together, they helped draft the first version of the legislation in 2017. "We just at that point decided that we became two moms on a mission to do something so that other people won't die of underride," Durso-Hawkins said. "It's been going on for decades. It's nothing new. The industry knows about it… and yet they failed to do anything with it."

One major obstacle is the difficulty in accurately measuring the scope of the problem. Many states, including Georgia, do not include a specific checkbox for underride crashes on accident reports, making it difficult to track deaths and injuries. "States are not putting those little boxes on their accident reports. It is such a simple thing to do. And yet they haven't done it," Durso-Hawkins said. "People will continue to die unless states and police departments take the appropriate action and make sure those checkboxes are on the accident forms and we have an accurate count." Following reporting by 11Alive Investigates, Georgia's DOT has begun working with the Traffic Records Coordinating Committee within the Governor's Office of Highway Safety to explore adding the checkbox to the state's crash reporting form, though no timeline has been set.

The trucking industry has pushed back against the legislation, arguing there is no officially approved crash-test standard for side underride guard designs and that the requirement would be too costly. Advocates counter that the cost of inaction is far greater. "I wouldn't be talking to you now. My daughter would have left, and she had a huge future in front of her. She was smart. She was beautiful. She was kind," Durso-Hawkins said. "She was a spectacular young lady. And there is not a day that goes by that I don't think about her."

Advocates hope the Stop Underrides Act 2.0 will be attached to a larger infrastructure or budget package to improve its chances of passage. Durso-Hawkins and Karth are also organizing a national Zoom call in April to educate the public about underride crashes and help connect them with their members of Congress. "Mostly, I think it's raising awareness. It's also letting people understand what truck underride is and what's in the bill and why it's important," Durso-Hawkins said. "Hopefully they'll get on board, too, and call their senators or their congressmen and show their support for it."

📸 Image(s) used under fair use for news reporting.