The Australian Trucking Association (ATA) has published a new technical advisory procedure providing general construction guidelines for heavy vehicle side underrun protection devices that comply with the UN ECE international standards for motor vehicles.
Side underrun protection devices protect road users such as pedestrians and cyclists from slipping sideways under the wheels of trucks and trailers, and can also improve the aerodynamic performance of heavy vehicles.
The advisory procedure was developed by the ATA’s Industry Technical Council, and provides designs and installation diagrams for the construction of steel, aluminium or fibre composite side under run protection devices compatible with most trailer designs.
ATA National Policy Manager David Coonan said the purpose of the advisory is to encourage the use of side under run protection devices by making it easier for trailer builders and operators to find best practice technical information about how to build them “Cyclists and other small road users can find themselves in danger if they come in too close to the side of a heavy vehicle, particularly if they move into the space between wheel sets,” he said.
“By encouraging the use of side under run protection devices, we can improve safety for these road users as well as potentially reducing fuel consumption.”