What Is RUPD And SUPD In Trucks? Know How They Save Lives During Accidents

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Have you ever seen the collision of a truck and a car on the road? To reduce the severity of the accident, crucial safety features like RUPD and SUPD are being integrated into the trucks. Read here to know more about RUPD and SUPD.

 What is RUPD?

RUPD, also known as the Rear Underrun Protection Device, serves as the bumper of a truck. It addresses a significant risk in truck-car collisions where the car can slide underneath the truck, leading to catastrophic consequences, especially for the car's Passengers. Such accidents often impact the A pillar of the car, directly endangering the passengers' lives.

The Impact of Truck Design

Two critical factors contribute to the severity of these accidents: the high ground clearance of trucks and the absence of a traditional bumper. Unlike cars that are equipped with crumple zones to absorb collision forces, trucks lack these safety features. Consequently, during a collision, the impact point on the car often remains above its crumple zone, resulting in significant damage to the A pillar and hindering the crumple zone's effectiveness in mitigating the force of the impact.
RUPD acts as a lifesaving measure by functioning as a bumper for trucks. When a car collides with a truck equipped with RUPD, there is bumper-to-bumper contact, ensuring that the impact occurs at the level of the car's crumple zone. This alignment allows the crumple zone to effectively absorb the force of the collision, significantly increasing the chances of survival for the car's occupants.

It is worth noting that RUPD is mandatory for trucks, underscoring its critical role in road safety. By ensuring bumper-to-bumper contact and directing the impact to the car's crumple zone, RUPD plays a vital role in preventing fatalities and reducing the severity of injuries in truck-car collisions.

What Is SUPD?

In addition to RUPD, Side Underrun Protection Devices (SUPD) are essential safety features installed on the sides of trucks. Similar to RUPD, SUPD plays a crucial role in mitigating the impact during side collisions. When a car collides with the side of a truck, SUPD helps redirect the impact to the car's crumple zone, minimizing the risk of serious injuries to the car's occupants.