How simple truck side guards could save thousands of lives
Most city streets, with tight intersections and multiple stoplights, were not designed to accommodate tractor-trailer trucks alongside pedestrians and bicyclists. Large trucks have a high, wide gap between the truck’s front and rear tires. This dangerous space is where 50% of the deaths from truck and bicycle collisions occur. A truck side guard is a panel that blocks the dangerous space between the truck’s front and rear wheels. This simple safety device prevents cyclists—and pedestrians—from being trapped and crushed by the truck’s rear wheels. Dozens of people die each year in side-impact truck crashes. Hundreds more are seriously injured. Yet, side guards are still not required safety equipment for trucks in Seattle, or in Washington, or in most of the
