Dangerous vehicles like oversize pickups and SUVs are threatening the safety of pedestrians. Research is now nailing down exactly how lethal they are. A recent study concludes that increasing the height of the front of a car or truck by four inches increases the probability that someone will be killed in a crash by 22 percent.
The researcher, Justin Tyndall of the University of Hawaii produced the following grim chart assessing the probability of death by vehicle type.
Height is not the only factor, vehicle weight matters as well. It is worth noting that EVs will generally be heavier due to battery weight, so this creates an even greater need to address overall vehicle size. And of course, the driver of a huge vehicle moving at high speed is less likely to see pedestrians and be able to stop quickly enough.
The federal government has the authority to regulate vehicle design. While we see needed safety rulemakings underway (pedestrian detection, automatic braking, safety ratings based on danger to pedestrians) these do not go to the heart of the matter – the size and speed of vehicles.
