Regulators' Failure to Prevent Underride Crashes Investigated.
Underride crashes, in which a passenger vehicle slides beneath a large commercial truck, cause hundreds of deaths each year in the US. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been aware of the problem for decades but failed to take action due to poor data collection and industry lobbying. Safety measures, such as stronger rear underride guards, were deemed too expensive by the trucking industry. Experts argue that the technology is simple and relatively inexpensive. The NHTSA has publicly acknowledged its failure to accurately count underride collisions for decades.