Use of under-run protection devices as an impact absorption apparatus is well known and well received in the field of body and chassis construction for trucks as a safety apparatus. They play an important role when a truck and a light motor vehicle are involved in a crash.
The ride height of a heavy vehicle is higher compared to a light motor vehicle (LMV), therefore, when involved in a crash with each other, the LMV under-runs the heavy vehicle, making the crash a high impact and fatal. The effect of light vehicle under running a heavy vehicle can be two fold.                1. Occupants of the light vehicle can be in direct contact with structural members of the heavy vehicle, and        2. The heavy vehicle, post impact may render uncontrollable leading to chain of crashes.        
U.S. Pat. No. 7,399,015 issued to Patel, et al. discloses a tube like structure along with a plate that would protect in case of a crash. However, the new regulation introduced do not allow for tubular structures for under-run protection, due to the ineffectiveness in case of greater impact crash. The new regulation therefore mandates the face or the surface that is exposed to a vehicle involved in an accident as to be flat. Thus, making the granted patent obsolete for use under present regulations.
Though the prior arts in the field meet the standards set by various regulating bodies around the world there is a need to reduce the amount of material being used to manufacture the under-run protection devices (UPD) without changing impact absorbing capacity.