The results from the study, to be released Tuesday, of almost 18,000 pedestrian crashes by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety highlight one of the key factors in the dramatic rise in pedestrian deaths in recent years and track with the findings of a Detroit Free Press/USA Today investigation, "Death on Foot, America's Love of SUVs is killing pedestrians," first published in 2018.
"Whatever their nose shape, pickups, SUVs and vans with a hood height greater than 40 inches are about 45% more likely to cause" deaths in pedestrian crashes than other vehicles where the hood height is 30 inches or less and the vehicle has a sloping profile, according to a news release, which noted that "among vehicles with hood heights between 30 and 40 inches, a blunt, or more vertical, front end increases the risk to pedestrians."
"Manufacturers can make vehicles less dangerous to pedestrians by lowering the front end of the hood and angling the grille and hood to create a sloped profile," IIHS Senior Research Transportation Engineer Wen Hu, the lead author of the study, said in the release. "There's no functional benefit to these massive, blocky fronts."
Rising numbers of pedestrians deaths have been a particularly troubling trend in the United States in recent years, with almost 7,400 pedestrians killed on or along U.S. roads in 2021, according to federal statistics.
The insurance institute noted such deaths have risen 80% since hitting their low in 2009.
We're letting trucks and cars kill people.
Tall vehicle front ends pose deadly problem for pedestrians, research finds
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety president points to "aggressive-looking vehicles" as deadly issue for pedestrians.
www.freep.com
Edit:
Adding the infographic from the study that shows how much more dangerous certain types of vehicles are:
Vehicles with higher, more vertical front ends pose greater risk to pedestrians
Vehicles with especially tall front ends are most dangerous to pedestrians, but a blunt profile makes medium-height vehicles deadly too.
www.iihs.org
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