CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Pam Edwards has a memory wall in her home that her family passes every day, thinking of her stepdaughter, Amber.
“She was loved and she's missed,” said Edwards.
Last June, Amber's SUV slammed into the side of a tractor-trailer on W.T. Harris Boulevard near Interstate 485.
[2 killed when car collides with tractor-trailer in north Charlotte identified]
The driver and passenger did not survive.
More than 300 people died from side crashes with tractor-trailers in 2015.
Anchor Allison Latos has investigated safety technology, called side underride guards, that could lessen the devastation.
Tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety show the metal bars could prevent vehicles from getting smashed underneath the trailer.
Other countries require the equipment but the United States does not.
In Charlotte’s new Vision Zero plan that aims to reduce traffic deaths, the city is looking at a pilot program to add the guards to some trash and dump trucks.
Edwards believes that could prevent another family from feeling her pain.
“I would hope that they would voluntarily say, ‘Yes, we're going to incorporate this because we care about the safety of the public,'” said Edwards.
Charlotte staff does not know the cost of adding the guards.
The pilot program will help determine the cost to install and maintain them.
The council has not taken action on the plan yet.
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Cox Media Group
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