Support Cycling Safety with Truck Side-Guards
We have an opportunity to support cycling safety at the federal level.
Our friends at the League of American Bicyclists (LAB) are running a national advocacy campaign in support of side-guards, otherwise known as Lateral Protective Devices (LPDs), for large trucks. Crashes between large trucks and people biking are some of the most serious — and simple safety equipment could make these crashes so much less deadly. Now is your chance to make your voice heard on this issue by writing to support the League’s comments to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) through LAB’s Action Center.
DID YOU KNOW? According to the LAB, crashes between people on bikes and large trucks are some of the most deadly among all crashes. In fact, crashes with large trucks account for 10 percent of all fatalities of people biking and walking despite large trucks making up only four percent of vehicles on the road.
There exists a simple solution to this tragic problem: side guards and underride guards.
The League of American Bicyclists has submitted comments objecting to NHTSA’s decision to not include vulnerable road users in their math on the cost-benefit analysis of requiring underride guards. That means NHTSA determined the cost-benefit analysis of side underride guards without considering the benefit of saving the lives of people biking, walking and rolling.
As a cyclist and cycling advocate, now is the time for you to take action on this issue. At the National Bike Summit, hundreds of advocates for safer bicycling, including a handful of Wisconsinites, took to Capitol Hill to make the case for these life-saving safety measures. Now, you can join our effort to make large trucks safer.
Please submit your support of LAB comments to NHTSA.
Thank You!