NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A father is on a mission to make guardrails safer after losing his 17-year-old daughter in a crash five years ago.
A new bill would require more guardrail testing on its way to Governor Lee's desk for signature after passing through the House and Senate.
The Hannah Eimers Memorial Tennessee Roadside Safety Hardware Act specifies requirements for testing crash cushions and guardrail end terminals on public highways and roads maintained by the Department of Transportation.
Having more specific safety procedures in place is another big win for the Eimers family. Hannah Eimers was driving on I-75 in 2017 when her car drifted off the road and hit a guardrail. The X-Lite guardrail impaled her car instantly killing her.
Her family believes she would've survived had it not been for what they believe was a faulty guardrail.
However according to a spokesperson for X-Lite guardrail, tests done by the Federal Highway Administration did not lead to any conclusions that their guardrails were unsafe. And they add that TDOT, following the crash said the X-Lite performed exactly the way it was supposed to.
The new proposed legislation would put additional safety checks in place.
Since then, TDOT has removed similar guardrails, but this legislation would put even more safety checks in place.
Hannah’s father Steve pushed for this same testing requirement to be included in the federal infrastructure act that passed last year. This would create state-level requirements.
Editor's Note: This story has been updated to include a statement from a spokesperson for X-Lite guardrail about tests performed on the guardrail in question.
