Washington — Rear impact guards on giant industrial vans should be inspected yearly, below a not too long ago issued final rule from the Federal Motor Provider Security Administration.
Rear impact guards are designed to stop “underrides,” which happen when a passenger car strikes the rear of a CMV and slides beneath. FMCSA notes that though rear impact guards have been required on CMVs for greater than 65 years, they haven’t been considered one of parts listed in Appendix G for required inspections. This has meant “that a vehicle can pass an annual inspection with a missing or damaged rear impact guard.”
Printed within the Nov. 9 Federal Register and efficient Dec. 9, the rule adds rear impact guards to Appendix G and amends labeling necessities. “Road construction controlled (RCC) horizontal discharge trailers” are exempt.
In December, FMCSA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking, with a two-month remark interval. Seven months later, the Division of Transportation listed the measure within the final rule stage as a part of its Spring 2021 regulatory agenda.