Pres. Trump, Secretary Chao, Sen. Thune, Leaders of the Trucking Industry President Trump, Secretary Chao, Senator Thune, and Leaders in the Trucking Industry, The tragic Tesla fatal crash on May 7, 2016, highlights a real and present highway danger -- cars sliding underneath large trucks when vehicles collide. No matter what caused the Tesla crash, the driver might have lived if the truck had had side guards. U.S. & Canadian safety advocates are calling for an end to preventable truck underride tragedies. Hundreds of people die every year when pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, and passenger vehicles go underneath trucks. It can happen to anyone -- even if their car has a 5-Star Crash Rating. It can happen anywhere. It happened to AnnaLeah (17) & Mary Karth (13), when their car went under the rear of a semi-trailer on May 4, 2013, in Georgia. And it happened to Jessica Holman-Price (21) when she went under the side of a truck as a pedestrian on December 19, 2005, in Canada. U.S. regulators have debated for decades about how to stop the tragedy of underride deaths -- including, since 1969, the possibility of requiring underride protection to be added to the sides of large trucks. But they have not done so, even though engineers have already found ways to solve this problem. It's time for NHTSA to mandate side guards and for the trucking industry to start installing them. Therefore, in light of the tragic and unnecessary countless loss of lives which delays in underride prevention have already cost, as well as the continued tragic and preventable loss of life sure to occur if decisive action is not taken now, the signers of this petition: 1. Call on President Trump to immediately sign a Vision Zero Executive Order to authorize Vision Zero rulemaking policies which will impact all DOT safety regulations and save more lives; 2. Call on DOT to act immediately and apply Vision Zero rulemaking principles by crafting a truck underride final rule -- with crash test-based performance standards rather than force-based design standards along with success at higher speeds -- to include rear (both centered and offset) and side guards for both Single Unit Trucks and trailers; 3. Call on Congress to support a comprehensive and effective truck underride standard; and Page 1 4. Call on leaders in the trucking industry to act immediately and support efforts to equip all trucks with effective underride protection. We can do this. Together, we can save lives. Someone is counting on us. Sincerely, Jerry & Marianne Karth, along with all signers of this petition Name From Comments 1. jerry karth Raleigh, NC It will save lives 2. Marianne Karth ROCKY MOUNT, NC 3. Laurie Memphis, TN My son Micheal was killed 11/18/14 in a side under ride Higginbotham crash in Memphis, TN. The truck made an illegal u turn at the bottom of a hill. If the trailer was fitted with side under ride guards Michael would be here today. 4. Rebekah Arlington, TX Chojnacki 5. Virginia Searight Memphis, TN Because my best friend died from an impact with the side of a truck making an illegal U Turn on a hill. 6. Marilyn Fleming Cordova, TN Our friends son was killed in a horrific acident with an 18 wheeler. His car ran underneath of the truck. 7. Elma Tassi Athens, Greece 8. Karen Godinez Wichita, KS Our very good friends' 39 year old son was killed in a truck accident in which this technology would have absolutely saved his life!! 9. Carl Aleksoff Dexter, MI 10. jean mohundro memphis, TN Had a friend that son was killed due this type of accident. 11. Kathryn Waldron Traverse City, MI Save lives Two of my nieces lost their lives at age 17 and 13 12. Richelle Gengler Midland, TX 13. Bobby Harris Middlesex, NC Because Family Lives Matter! 14. John Cimino Arlington Heights, IL 15. Steven McIntosh Rolesville, NC To save more lives. Page 2 - Signatures 1 - 15 Name From Comments 16. Cynthia Petersen Wyoming, MI, Turks It is important to me because saving lives is the most And Caicos Islands important thing we can do for others. 17. Ryan Hamilton Midland, TX 18. Donna Lanning Alto, MI Because people's lives will be saved. 19. Tim Mock Raleigh, NC This is really common sense. Not only will this save lives, it will also likely improve fuel efficiency for the trucks. 20. Kristin Gay Elm City, NC I personally know individuals who have lost their lives or the lives of loved ones due the lack of rear and side guards on tractor trailer trucks which is completely preventable if the trucking companies would take ownership of proper precautionary/ preventive measures to ensure they have equipped their drivers vehicles to be as safe as possible. If trucking companies would get on board with this program maybe insurance carriers would offer a rate reduction for the addition of these safety features. Tractor trailers are already a moving danger on the highways and roads due to their size, weight, blind spots, etc... any additional precautionary measure to help reduce the number injuries and fatalities caused by these machines is a MUST! 21. Scott Linke Willard, NC My friends daughters were killed in a semi trailer crash 22. Annette Reynolds Rocky Mount, NC This could happen to anyone. It could happen to your family members. It is important that the trucks on the highway are equipped with as many safety precautions as possible. The trucks are already dangerous enough, most feeling as if they own the road without care of other drivers on the road. They're only concern is getting to their destination as quickly as possible. Sadly, some without the concerns of others on the highway. This one protection could save lives, no matter what the cost. You cannot put a price on a life. 23. Christina Keller Lincolnton, NC 24. Johanna Ryan Bonavista, Canada To prevent others from suffering needlessly by changing Guy the ludicrous laws. 25. Robert Pase Midland, TX 26. John Waldron Edmonds, WA 27. Louis Lombardo Bethesda, MD 28. Lauren Brigance Memphis, TN 29. Allison Loyd Collierville, TN If side guards had been mandatory my husbands best friend would still be alive. 30. Kathryn Irby GULFPORT, MS 31. Bob Waldron Appleton, WI To save lives and minimize serious injuries from highway accidents involving truck underrides. 32. Carol Clark Austin, TX To prevent preventable deathsw Page 3 - Signatures 16 - 32 Name From Comments 33. Sandra Parsley Midland, TX Two people I loved would have hopefully survived that fatal car wreck.. 34. Pamela Uhlig Lake Bluff, IL 35. Guenter Lob Munich, Sri Lanka 36. Janelle Blozy Aurora, IN 37. Eneida Gonzalez Fort Laudedale, FL 38. Benita Meyer Oviedo, FL Safety should be common sense and important to everyone. Especially when money thrown at congress keeps good work from being done. 39. Roz Pensler Huntersville, NC If there is a fix to save lives we need to implement it. Why is the US always last when it comes to regulations that protect it citizens? That is a story worth pursuing. 40. Jeanine Truman Jeffersonville, IN Safety saves lives. It's negligent NOT to do this!!! 41. Jennifer Wilcox Midland, TX My brother was killed by going under the side of a truck 42. Melissa Ledesma Waterloo, IA 43. Daphne Izer Lisbon, ME It will save lives 44. Mary Liguori Owensboro, KY Safety of human lives should matter more than the money Conroy it will take to install the guards. Senator Thune, however, doesn't seem to mind receiving $$$ from the trucking industry 45. kerri Chilcoat berryton, KS 46. Jane DeVere Marietta, GA Lives will be saved 47. Laura Barreto Naperville, IL An easy fix that can save lives, and has been a standard in Europe for decades. 48. Donna Lesher Covington, VA If it is in our power to have a solution but not to fix it shame on everyone! 49. Amie Taylor Smith's Grove, KY It's important to everyone because it saves lives. 50. Candice Turner Raleigh, NC 51. Janet Watson Rocky Mount, NC There continue to be too many unnecessary deaths caused by this, and it is a correctable problem. 53. James Corey Etna, OH Trucks are the most dangerous vehicles on the road, they out weigh most cars 8 to 1. 54. Janet Rockafellar Louisville, KY I'm a driver and I have no desire to be maimed or decapitated. The highways are full of trucks. Sometimes traffic is bad, sometimes weather is bad, sometimes drivers are fatigued, etc., etc. This is a scary situation. 55. Jason Sibold Fort Collins, CO 56. Alison Judd Seattle, WA Why not provide safety against such dangerous accidents? 57. Ronald Gouge Richland, WA 58. jason bowden Henderson, NV 59. katie f. bordentown, NJ Page 4 - Signatures 33 - 59 Name From Comments 60. Gigi Ballester Memphis, TN It saves lives!!!! 61. Susan Horton Nashville, TN These would prevent fatalities, an estimated 200/year. This is a known and preventable tragedy. Is the government here to protect the people or the trucking industry? 62. Carrie Harrington Chicago, IL 63. Vivian Ackerson Austin, TX 64. paul kinney st. augustine, FL 65. Allison Nunnally Houma, LA Because I care about the safety of my family and others who regularly drive on roads shared with big trucks. 66. Catherine Yuma, AZ Seems to me to be common sense, the larger vehicle will Cashman always win, protection needed. 67. Amy Webber Burke, VA These types of death are preventable!! Big Trucking needs to stop getting in the way of common sense safety.