Trailer Underride Bar/guard

Hi guys and gals, I haven't been to your message board in years but remembered I had registered back then. So, what better place to ask.

This may have been covered before but I couldn't find anything. Simple question really. The other day I was reading about Ms. Jayne Mansfield. The cause of her death was severe head trauma from the car she was in going under the trailer. After the accident the industry mandated a guard be affixed to the back of all trailers. Underride guard is really what it's called (I think) but the article said at the time some nicknamed it the Mansfield bar.

So, the other day I'm on the freeway thinking about it. Most of the trailers I have seen have 2 vertical bars holding the underride bar in place but then I came up to another trailer that clearly has the support bracket bars welded in place to show a perfect M.

There are actually 2 trailer brands that I know of that have the bars resembling a M. One is kind of like a M but the other is a M.

So, my question is was that done purposely to reference her?

I'm not bothered by it one way or the other. I mean rip Ms. Mansfield it's just my curiosity got going is all. Thanks

I don’t know if the M has anything to do with Jayne Mansfield, but I’d do know that her daughter is Marissa Hargitay from Law & Order, SVU.

I hope that is helpful.

No it's not. A couple of my different companies I have driven for have ordered them that way because they are stouter. One company also had steps put in between the two uprights so drivers can get in and out of trailers easier and not get injured by jumping out of the trailer.

Laura

Don't matter much, because the stiffer the rear trailer DOT bars are, ya hit it at speed, you're gunna likely DIE....

My mentor @ CRST was stuck in a shut down on I-40 3+ years ago. Traffic was at stand still, he happened to be up in passenger seat. They had 4 ways on and just parked in the right lane. When he /they felt a thump, he looked out the mirror to see a puff of smoke, jumped out and ran to the back. Well a car had hit them @ 70+ mph, on the right side.

Bent the bars into an "L" shape, hit and tore a hole in the right trailer door. Driver side of car was halfway under the trailer, and the driver(alone) was dead. From what he said it was NOT a pretty site. Guy turned out was 54, from Ark. and his cell was in his lap, no holder inside his car. It took hours for his body to be extracted, and it caused an even longer road closure, and a couple days of investigations...He and his co-driver had separate interviews (interrogations more like it) by the company, and it's lawyers....

It was found by evidence at scene, and witnesses, to the crash, the guy did not even brake before impact. So either he had a medical issue, or was using his cell phone, not watching ahead. And this was in the middle of the day during the summer, so weather or road conditions played no part in it. Sad the guy had to die yesss, but it happens everyday, everywhere, ya can't fix stupid, no matter what safety is implemented into things.

Not sure the Mansfield crash was a rear-ender. I thought her convertible went under the side and she was completely decapitated.

At some point in trucking history, there was an effort made to require side underride protection but that effort was shut down by the trucking companies as too expensive to implement.

Also, to Laura’s point, all trailers should have those built in ladders.

Jayne Mansfield was not decapitated. The accident scene photos can be seen at the pictured website. I am posting the one image where I didn't spot blood or a body. Please remove if you see otherwise. The second image is a decent description of it, but it is difficult to find information that is not driven by the click bait-ey gruesome details.