This paperp resents research which is a continuation of earlier work on front underrun guards for trucks, carried out at the Transport and Road Research Laboratory in Great Britain.

Results are given from impact tests between European small cars and trucks, where both vehicles are moving towards each other. Comparisons are made with earlier tests at similar closing speeds but where the truck was stationary before impact. It is concluded that there is little difference in the results from either method of test, particularly for the case when an underrun guard is fitted.

The results sugges that an energy absorbing truck front underrun guard with a ground clearance of 300 mm is able to provide protection from fatal or severe injuries to seat belted occupants in a small car (750 kg) at closing speeds up to about 65 km/h.

Impact tests have been carried out between a rigid faced 250 kg trolley and three different types of energy absorbing truck underrun guard. The test procedure thus developed could form the basis of a legislative test to determine whether front underrun guards have adequate energy absorption. Limits are suggested for the proposed test procedure to cover speed of impact, input energy, size of trolley face and trolley decelerations during impact.