When we think of Hollywood icons, Marilyn Monroe often comes to mind first. Her beauty, charisma, and tragic death at just 36 left an enduring mark on popular culture. Yet Monroe’s contemporary, Jane Mansfield, who also died far too young, left a legacy that touches lives daily—not through cinema, but through road safety.
In June 1967, Mansfield was killed instantly when the car she was travelling in collided with the rear of a lorry in the United States. The impact sheared off the top of the vehicle, a brutal type of crash that had claimed many lives before, and could easily have continued to do so.
Out of this tragedy came change. Safety experts worked to prevent similar accidents, and the solution was both simple and effective: the rear underrun guard, more widely known as the “Mansfield Bar”. This horizontal bar, fitted to the back of lorries and trailers, prevents cars from sliding underneath in a collision. It has since become standard on heavy goods vehicles across the world, including here in the UK and in Spain, where it is a familiar—though often unnoticed—feature of the roads.
The Mansfield Bar has quietly saved countless lives over the decades. Drivers may never know its name, or its origin, but its presence is a daily reminder that sometimes even the darkest events can lead to lasting protection for others.
And to end on a lighter note—Jane Mansfield is not the only Hollywood actress whose legacy lives on in an unusual way. Another screen legend, Mae West, also has a namesake safety feature still in use today. The reason for that one, however, is perhaps a little cheekier…
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