Ever Wondered About the Bars on the Back of Semi-Trucks?
Semi-trucks crisscross the nation every day, from the Pacific Northwest to the southernmost tip of Florida and everything in between. However, for those who don’t know much about these large, commercially vital trucks, some things on the rigs might look alien. For instance, the so-called “Mansfield Bars” on the rear of a semi-truck have a sad origin and an important role in road safety.
‘Mansfield Bars’ are low-slung safety bar setups on semi-trucks that prevent a repeat of the Jayne Mansfield tragedy
The “Rear Underrun Protection System” or the Mansfield bars as many drivers know them, are a safety apparatus for semi-trucks and their trailers. The horizontal bar setup acts as a stout bumper application, preventing gruesome accidents with vehicles, especially low-slung passenger vehicles and sports cars.
Tragically, some innovations require misery to happen. Such is the case of the Mansfield bar. No, it’s not named after some mustachioed inventor with a mind for safety. Sadly, that’s not the case. Instead, the “Mansfield” in the name comes from American actor and Playboy playmate Jayne Mansfield.
Jayne Mansfield, her driver, lawyer, and three of her children were on the road in the wee hours of the morning in June 1967. It was around two o’clock on the darkened New Orleans highway, and the driver didn’t see a slowed semi-truck ahead. Heartbreakingly, the 1966 Buick Electra 225 failed to stop in time, sliding under the semi’s trailer. All the adult occupants of the car perished.
It might seem moot to look for a silver lining, but the children in the backseat survived the crash. What’s more, one of her children, Mariska Hargitay, would go on to star in the hit television series, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.”
Moreover, the horrific tragedy prompted governing agencies to rethink semi-truck trailer safety. Rather than leaving a potentially dangerous overhang on commercial trailers, the Mansfield bar will theoretically stop a vehicle from sliding under the rear of a trailer. Check out a video of the underrun system in operation below!
