Sponsors (10)
The bill increases federal focus, data, and regulatory foundation to reduce deadly underride crashes—likely improving safety for many Americans—but does so in ways that will raise compliance, retrofit, administrative, and taxpayer costs and could delay or unevenly phase-in protections for some communities.
Drivers, passengers, and vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists) across urban and rural communities will likely face fewer fatal and severe underride crashes because the bill promotes stronger underride protections, standards, and research-informed rulemaking.
Vehicle manufacturers, fleets, and regulators gain clearer, harmonized definitions and references for commercial vehicles and underride devices, reducing ambiguity and speeding alignment of safety rules and enforcement.
Congress, DOT, and the public will get stronger evidence, data, and oversight—through mandated studies, improved crash identification, advisory committee input (including victim representation), and a central repository—supporting more effective, evidence-based safety standards.
Truck and trailer manufacturers, fleet owners, and ultimately consumers and shippers will face higher costs because implementing new underride equipment, design changes, certification, or retrofits could raise vehicle prices and freight costs.
Smaller manufacturers and carriers may be disproportionately burdened by redesign, certification, and retrofit expenses and tight compliance timelines, risking financial strain, reduced competition, or industry consolidation.
Taxpayers and DOT/NHTSA budgets will absorb additional administrative costs for studies, advisory committee operations, website maintenance, training, and expanded data reviews, and agency staff time may be diverted from other priorities.
Based on analysis of 9 sections of legislative text.
Requires DOT to promulgate and enforce performance standards mandating side underride guards on new trailers, semitrailers, and single‑unit trucks and orders related studies, reporting, and training.
Official title: Reduce the incidence of death by underride by enhancing underride protection on trailers, semitrailers, and single unit trucks, which will result in more survivable truck crashes, to improve motor carrier, passenger motor vehicle, and Vulnerable Road User safety, and for other purposes.
Introduced February 4, 2026 by Kirsten Gillibrand · Last progress February 4, 2026
Requires the Department of Transportation to mandate side underride guards on new trailers, semitrailers, and single‑unit trucks, set performance standards, and set deadlines for rulemaking and compliance. The bill also reconvenes and reshapes an underride advisory committee, creates a public DOT underride resource hub, orders studies on front‑end and rear underride protections, and directs improved crash data analysis and law‑enforcement training to better identify and report underride crashes.