Deadly crashes spur calls for side guards

After two cars skidded under a jackknifed milk tanker truck in northern New York on July 6, killing four people, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer called on federal regulators to order big trucks to be equipped with side guards that would prevent cars from sliding beneath them in a crash.

“The devastation of crashes like these — a result of a gap in truck safety standards — could be reduced,” Schumer, a Democrat, said.

Side guards aren’t required by federal regulations, but at least three cities — Boston, New York and Seattle — mandate them on city-owned trucks to eliminate deaths and injuries, particularly among pedestrians and bicyclists.