USA/Pedestrian Deaths—
By Suzanne Potter, producer, California News Service, a bureau of Public News Service
Big trucks and SUVs are contributing to a sharp rise in pedestrian deaths, which have increased 75% since 2009 in California and nationwide, according to a new investigation from The New York Times.
The Times found that about 3,000 pedestrians who were killed between 2016 and 2024 would be alive today if vehicles had not increased in size in recent years.
Joe Young, director of media relations for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, said the group’s research shows larger vehicles carry a greater risk for pedestrians.
“Getting hit with a low-sloped front end like you’d have on a traditional passenger vehicle versus a taller, very blunt front end like you’d see in many of the modern pickups, there was about a 44% increase in the likelihood of a fatality,” Young said.
SUV Hazards
People hit by a sedan tend to end up on the hood and roll off to the side. But the hoods on many SUVs and trucks are now so high that pedestrians can be thrown down into the path of the vehicle and run over, causing much greater injury.
Tall hoods, wider A-pillars, and larger mirrors also create bigger blind spots, making it harder for drivers to avoid a collision.
Michael Brooks, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, said the Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have done relatively little to address reduced visibility or higher bumper heights in larger vehicles.
“It’s an area that they’ve been hesitant to regulate under the theory, I think, that consumer choice outweighs the safety concerns, but we disagree,” Brooks said.
A new bill introduced in the House of Representatives, called the Pedestrian Protection Act, would direct federal agencies to begin rulemaking aimed at addressing many of those issues.
