WHAT CAN WE DO? WHAT WE HAVE DONE IN BRAZIL

  1. In Brazil, due to the TOTAL LACK of political interest from the government, inspite of two years of efforts to call the attention of the concerned department (DENATRAN) a group of individuals and a few entities, among then the IDEC-(Brazilian Institute for the Consumers Protection) made a formal denounce to the GENERAL ATTORNEY against the DENATRAN, by crimes of OMISSION-NEGLIGENCE and INCOMPETENCE in ruling about a simple safety device, that are causing about 15,000 deaths per annum, at minimum. ANOTHER CRIME IS THE LACK OF STATISTICS , which hides the problem from society.
  2. A campaign was made by means of presentations in several Congresses, including one from SAE-Brazil, and a paper is available at SAE library, under the title:
    A TRAP FOR HUMANS: THE CHALLENGES OF THE GUILLOTINE EFFECT (PAPER NRš 952207)
  3. Letters were sent to the President of the Republic, to the Justice Minister and to members of the National Congress, and one deputy is proposing a new law with our assistance, in terms of modifying the juridical concept that the one which collides to the back of the other DESERVES THE CAPITAL SENTENCE .

APPELLATION- In name of all Brazilians car riders, and in memory of hundreds of thousands of people which died or became handicapped by the rear of trucks, since January 1968 when the Decree 62,127 prescribed the utilization of rear underride guards, we are hopeful in receiving support and suggestions how to tackle this problem, that as far as we know, is universal.

AKNOWLEDGEMENTS: To George Rechnitzer and his team from MONASH UNIVERSITY (AUSTRALIA), by the technical reports and the excellent video film made during the crash tests with the best underride guard probably ever made in the world. The video film was copied to the local Automotive Associations, to the UNICAMP, to the National Congress and to the Federal Procuratorship, in order to demonstrate how to save lives with a simple US$ 300 metallic structure.