Drivers’ preference for bigger SUVs and pickups may be endangering pedestrians.
Research released by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety on Tuesday found the height of a vehicle plays a role when drivers hit pedestrians.
Higher front ends increased the likelihood of both moderate and serious pedestrian injuries. At 27 mph, a median height car had a 30% chance of causing serious injuries to a pedestrian. In comparison, a median height pickup truck with a front end 13 inches higher had a 62% chance of causing serious injuries.
“The majority of passenger vehicles on U.S. roads today are SUVs or pickups. These choices have very real consequences for pedestrian safety,” the study’s lead author, statistician Sam Monfort, said in a statement.
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IIHS said vehicle manufacturers can keep pedestrians safe by changing their front-end designs and improving automatic emergency braking systems.
Small speed limit reductions also can help protect pedestrians, the group said. A speed limit change from 30 mph to 25 mph cuts the risk of serious injuries to pedestrians in the event of a crash from 50% to 32%, they said.
“This study is a vivid illustration of how multiple factors — in this case speed and vehicle height — converge to create negative outcomes on the road,” IIHS President David Harkey said in a statement. “Similarly, it will take a combination of actions from different corners of the transportation world to improve pedestrian safety.”
