Dead Girls’ Mom Says $100 Truck Fix May Have Saved Daughters

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A truck design change that could save lives costs about $100. It has yet to be adopted by regulators and that says a lot about the state of safety on U.S. highways.

The design fix by trailer maker Manac Inc., one of several under consideration, is simple: Wider spacing of support bars that hang from the end of truck trailers to prevent cars from sliding underneath. Marianne Karth says it might have saved the lives of her two teenage daughters, AnnaLeah and Mary, who died in a 2013 crash. Karth was driving a blue Crown Victoria that was hit by one tractor trailer and slid under another truck, despite its steel bar.