Underride protection

Greater safety for trucks
19-05-2021

Starting September 2021, new directives for the underride protection of trucks will apply throughout the EU. Underride protection is designed to prevent smaller vehicles from sliding under the truck frame in the event of a rear-end collision. Read our article to find out which safety solutions HELLA has to offer for your truck and trailer.

 

The key points in short

  • An underride guard is a physical barrier designed to keep smaller vehicles from going under the truck in the event of an accident.
  • The responsible European body has issued new regulations for underride protection in the form of Resolution UNECE R 58-03.
  • HELLA has developed a new underride guard that effortlessly meets all specifications and can be adapted to your individual requirements.
  • In addition, our range offers a variety of products for greater safety on the road.

 

What is the benefit of underride protection?

Rear-end collisions in which smaller vehicles crash into large trucks or trailers often end in disaster. That is why underride protection for trucks and trailers is mandatory. In the event of an accident, this underride guard is designed to prevent cars or motorcycles from sliding under larger vehicles and causing serious injuries to the occupants. There are also appropriate safety precautions for the sides and rear. New regulations have been adopted throughout the EU for underride protection of trucks to ensure even greater safety on the roads.

 

New regulations apply EU-wide

Back in 2016, the responsible body of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) adopted higher safety standards, which were set out in Regulation R 58-03. In September 2021, the final deadline expires – from then on, all newly homologated trucks (N2 and N3 > 3.5 t) and trailers (O3 and O4 > 3.5 t) must follow the guidelines of UNECE R 58-03, which has once again tightened the regulations for underride protection.

 

For example, the resolution provides for specific geometric properties and increased strength testing. In this test, an underride guard must be able to withstand 100 to 180 kN; previously, it was only 50 to 100 kN. The height of the underride guard cross-profile has been increased from 100 to 120 mm for certain vehicles, while the ground clearance under the cross-profile has been reduced from 550 to 450 mm for specified vehicles. You can find all the details here.

The underride guard increases the road safety of trucks.

HELLA’s underride protection: Customizable to your vehicle

HELLA has developed a new underride guard based on UNECE R 58-03 that easily meets all specifications. It is made of durable aluminum and can be attached to vehicles of different heights thanks to two brackets.

 

In addition, HELLA’s underride guard can be provided with customizable hole pattern milled holes, personalized with different RAL paint finishes or rubber spray flaps. This way, your new underride protection fits into the overall concept of your vehicle design and meets your individual requirements as well as the EU directives. You can read the detailed technical information here.

Schematic diagram of the underride guard

In this way, the force is distributed over the underride guard. 

Light signals also increase safety

In addition to mechanical underride protection, HELLA offers further safety precautions for your truck or trailer. Lighting concepts ensure visibility and safety at any time of day and in any weather: Clearance lamps, side marker lamps, and rear lamps reliably mark the contour of your vehicle. Retroreflective sheeting, which is sometimes used, requires an external light source to reflect it, so lamps are the safer choice.

 

Side marker lamps, which are mandatory for trailers, also increase safety on the roads. For example, they also flash during turning maneuvers, which draws the attention of road users to the trailer. HELLA cares about your safety – find out more about our safety lighting concepts and our underride protection!

You might also be interested in: