Despite the several deaths linked to Trinity Industries Inc.s guardrails, the systems have passed a second round of government-mandated crash tests.
On March 13, officials from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) revealed that Trinity’s ET-Plus system did not lock up or penetrate the cars used on the tests. On Feb. 6, the Federal Highway Administration revealed that the system had passed the initial four crash tests.
At least 42 states, including Ohio, have suspended and essentially banned installations of the Trinity system until new safety data is available. Now, its up to the states to decide whether they want to start using the ET-Plus systems again.
However, the agency is still working on evaluating the ET-Plus system further with a joint task force that include state transportation representatives. Hundreds of crash reports and accidents involving the guardrails will be evaluated and further testing could be requested.
On Jan. 27, a crash test performed in San Antonio showed the guardrail folded over and pushed into the drivers side door. According to an independent report, the guardrail drove the door in as far as the steering wheel and appeared to hit the test dummy’s upper leg. Unfortunately, this was still considered a pass.
Along with the FHWA, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that this was a low-risk injury.
The FHWA’s report says that the ET-Plus systems used in the crash tests were representative of those installed on U.S. roadways, according to Bloomberg.
If you or someone you love has been injured due to a defective product, the product liability attorneys at O’Connor, Acciani & Levy can help you determine what your legal rights are.