IST Statement on Appointment of Harry Adler to Advisory Committee on Underride Protections

Washington, D.C. - The Institute for Safer Trucking (IST) is pleased to announce that Harry Adler has been appointed to represent truck safety organizations on the newly formed Advisory Committee on Underride Protection. The committee was created as part of President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and is a key element of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Roadway Safety Strategy, which aims to reduce the alarming increase in roadway fatalities in recent years.

"The IST board is excited that Harry has been selected to represent truck safety organizations on the Advisory Committee on Underride Protection," said Laurie Higginbotham, a board member at IST and a mother whose son, Michael, was killed in a truck underride crash. "Harry has been a tireless advocate for truck safety for many years, and we are confident that his expertise and dedication will make a significant contribution to this important effort to improve roadway safety."

Underride crashes, in which a passenger vehicle collides with the side or rear of a tractor-trailer or other large vehicle and slides under the truck or trailer, are among the deadliest types of crashes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also announced an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to require side underride protections. The Institute for Safer Trucking is supportive of such a requirement.

"The Institute for Safer Trucking is committed to promoting the use of effective underride protection technology and advocating for strong safety regulations," said John Lannen, Principal at IST. "We look forward to having Harry and the other members of the Advisory Committee to develop recommendations that will help prevent these tragic crashes and save lives. We also strongly support efforts to improve underride protections, and hope that NHTSA moves quickly to advance a regulation to require side guards on trailers."

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For more information about the Institute for Safer Trucking, visit our website at www.safertrucking.org.