What Are Mansfield Bars?
We explore what exactly Mansfield bars are: what they are, why they're named after Jayne Mansfield's tragic accident, and if they're generally considered safe.
It’s no secret that semi-trucks are massive players on the road and can be dangerous in an unfortunate situation. If you’re behind a semi, you might notice a T-shaped bar that sits welded on the rear of the trailer. These are known as Mansfield bars. What are Mansfield bars, and what should the average person know about them?
Although you might not have noticed them until now, Mansfield bars play a critical role on the go. The more you know about them, the more care you can place on the road when you’re sitting behind semis. Read on to learn more about what a Mansfield bar is, why they have that name, whether all trucks have them, and other valuable details.
What is a Mansfield Bar?
Mansfield bars are large, T-shaped bars on the back of semi-trucks. They rest on the back of the car’s trailer as a sort of rear guard, attempting to prevent a vehicle from smashing into the back of a trailer if there is some collision. Mansfield bars are a safety regulation, not a standard part of the vehicle.
Unfortunately, Mansfield Bars offer the following features:
- Minimal protection
- Limited regulation
- Little proof of success
They don’t defend other cars on the road as well as they should.
Semis are massive selections on the road, which means there are inevitably going to be some dangerous accidents between the smaller vehicles and larger, massive machines. They gained their name because of one particular and very tragic accident that would change the world forever.
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Why Are They Called Mansfield Bars?
In 1967, actress Jayne Mansfield was on the rise. She was like Marilyn Monroe, with blonde hair and an incredible future. She and two adult passengers were driving on the road when they hit the back of a semi, slid under, and killed all three adults immediately. Two shorter and sleeping children survived the accident.
A typical trailer bed on a semi is 48 inches tall, while a typical sedan sits around 20 inches tall. Unfortunately, that height makes a smaller vehicle the right size to slide underneath the car and take the top right off a typical passenger vehicle, which is what happened to the late Jayne Mansfield. It killed her almost instantly thanks to the height of the vehicle.
In response to the tragedy, various vehicles added safety bars to the back of the car, known as Mansfield Bars. These did not have any regulations, but they were added to keep passengers far safer than before. No two states are the same, so the hope is there might be regulation in the coming years for the safety of passengers and drivers.
Do All Trucks Have a Mansfield Bar?
There are no bumpers on a typical semi-truck or another similar large vehicle. Thus, they must install Mansfield bars to defend smaller machines on the go. The regulation for the car is still spotty and there is much work to complete in the future. Right now, most vehicles are required to have a Mansfield bar on them.
Mansfield bars are attached to trucks with the intent to do the following:
- Supplement a bumper
- Prevent serious crashes
- Mitigate deaths
They are a multi-purpose event, but they can be problematic to some.
At least on the outside, Mansfield Bars have been added to the system with good intent. There has been some positive progression in that department, but unfortunately, there are some negative aspects to them, too. In some cases, they can be dangerous for cars to encounter on the back of a semi.
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Are Mansfield Bars Safer for Drivers?
Mansfield drivers were added to the back of semis to make the experience safer for drivers. Unfortunately, they didn’t do that. In many cases, Mansfield bars make driving behind semi-trucks more dangerous than before. In theory, they’re beneficial for drivers. In actuality, they aren’t much safer than they were before.
Mansfield bars hurt the driving experience in the following ways:
- Fail to stop sliding on all sides
- Do not absorb energy like bumpers
- Not low enough for all vehicles
They can be unfortunate choices for many semi-trucks.
Mansfield bars only protect cars if they hit the rear, not all sides of the machine. They also are bars, rather than flat selections like bumpers. Thus, their energy absorption is much more intense. Also, the bars only go so low on the rear of the semi-truck. Some lower vehicles could still slide under the safety of the Mansfield bars.
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Injuries from Mansfield Bars
While Mansfield bars may have prevented some deaths, they’ve also created more injuries for those behind a semi-truck. It’s helpful to understand the risk of injuries with Mansfield bars to determine the risk of driving behind a semi-truck. There are risks and rewards with any measure, including Mansfield bars.
Here are some common injuries associated with Mansfield bars:
- Serious head trauma
- Broken bones
- Decapitation
When there are no seatbelts involved, the risk grows even higher.
The height of the Mansfield bar will determine the injury any particular individual could receive if they run into the back of a semi. They can sit around eye level, but others aren’t placed at the correct height which can lead to far more serious injuries. Speed could also cause serious trouble if the vehicle is speeding far above the limit.
Final Thoughts
Mansfield bars exist to serve as a protection for smaller cars driving behind a semi-truck, put in place thanks to the tragic death of Jayne Mansfield. Although these bars can prevent vehicles from sliding under the car, they can still cause injuries and don’t prevent the vehicle from sliding under on the other sides.
We hope these details are helpful, especially for keeping your car safe. It’s always risky to drive near a semi, and it’s even more dangerous to drive right behind one. Keep an eye on Mansfield bars and ensure you don’t get near them to avoid serious injury. Wear your seatbelt and, above all, don’t speed.
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