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Study Finds Pedestrian Safety at Risk with SUVs and Pickup Trucks

These large vehicles are the culprit

By Jen DemkinPublished 2 years ago 6 min read
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Photo Credit: Gary Lewis

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has studied pickup trucks and sports utility vehicles (SUVs). They found that large vehicles are more likely to hit pedestrians than smaller cars. The number of people killed by these vehicles is also on the rise.

But do accidents happen because of human error, or should the poor front visibility and design on these large vehicles be partly blamed?

Safety of pedestrians at risk

Researchers of IIHS focused on finding the details of 14,000 fatal pedestrian crash incidents. They discovered that SUVs were about to make a left turn when the crash happened, as likely as the cars reported. Regular vans and minivans had nearly three times the odds as cars, while the pickup trucks were almost four times as possible. IIHS also found similar results from an analysis of non-fatal crashes.

The institute also corroborated North Carolina's police reports from 2010 to 2018. They found some similarities in the information. According to the North Carolina police, out of 5,500 reported collisions near or at intersections, 2,070 involved a turning vehicle. And of those road accidents, pickup trucks (23 percent) and SUVs (42 percent) are more prone to hit a pedestrian while turning on corners than cars.

The IIHS pointed out that they are a possible factor in the rising pedestrian deaths on U.S. roads. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 59 percent of road accidents have involved these vehicles since 2009.

Rising rate in collision accidents

In the United States, pickup trucks have become the most popular choice for automobiles. Back then, trucks were typically used in farms and other commercial purposes due to their towing capabilities, utility features, and spacious beds.

These days, they are built with extensive truck parts to improve their performance and utility. They are also getting so big that drivers are experiencing difficulty fitting them into home garages and public parking spaces. As automakers continue to produce larger vehicles, they may encounter more problems.

In 2020, the world experienced the start of the pandemic. Lockdowns happened to prevent the transmission of the virus. Even though the people were asked to limit traveling outside their homes, the pedestrian death rate still swelled. In that same year, the sales for SUVs and pickup trucks have skyrocketed.

SUVs, pickup trucks, and vans accounted for almost half of all vehicle sales in the U.S. Also, more than three-quarters of new vehicle sales are from light trucks. SUVs are in the second spot of best-selling vehicles in the country.

Despite the travel restrictions, the pedestrian fatality rate reached a shocking 20 percent increase during the first six months of 2020. According to NHTSA, 2020 is the last year that completes the statistics with a record of 6,519 pedestrians killed in the United States.

A-pillars causing problems

Cars from the '50s to '70s have the same A-pillar design, but their roof pillars are thinner than today's standards. The carmakers constructed the pillars using more delicate material to avoid obstructing visibility. However, the thin pillars do not provide rollover protection in case of a crash.

Hardtops are made for older cars, so they do not have B-pillars placed behind the front doors. They leave a big hole if you open all four side windows. They were excellent for visibility and somehow boosted the looks of the car. However, they were not suitable for roof support.

You might have seen some car reviews indicating that the A-pillars can block the view since they're very thick. The wideness of the front roof pillars obstructs the visibility of the front corners. It can be a problem when turning to the left because you will not see the pedestrians walking across the street in front of your car quickly.

Research shows that blind spots caused by the A-pillars between the cabin and windshield are possible causes of pedestrian collisions that result in increased injuries and deaths. There's a link between the large vehicle types and the pedestrian crashes. It also points to the increased number of pickups and SUVs on the roads.

Poor visibility

According to IIHS, they attributed the safety risk of pedestrians due to poor driver visibility inside the large vehicles. The study shows that pickup trucks and SUVs have become a safety hazard on the roads, especially when turning on corners.

The researchers examined the crashes not involving turns. They found that pickup trucks were 51 percent more likely to hit and kill a pedestrian running or walking along the road. Trucks were more likely to hit people outside intersections than cars, with 80 percent. While the SUVs were more likely than cars to get involved in a pedestrian collision with 25 percent. But it’s higher outside of corners, with 61 percent more likely to hit a pedestrian than sedans.

Wen Hu, the IIHS Senior Transportation Engineer, said that the A-pillars' size, location, and shape could make it harder for drivers to see the crossing pedestrians when they are turning. The A-pillars support the roof on the sides of the windshield. It also holds the windshield in place.

Trucks, SUVs, and vans sit higher than smaller cars such as sedans. They have bigger wheels and tires, so they have higher ground clearance. Due to the federal roof-strength standards, larger vehicles usually have thicker A-pillars than cars, which helps to prevent collapse in rollover crashes. Since larger vehicles must withstand higher weights, automakers created the pillars wider.

The IIHS engineer suggests that automakers could have used more resilient materials than make their A-Pillars wider. Since larger vehicles need more robust pillars, they could make the pillar smaller and increase the visibility if they use stronger metal to improve the strength.

But aside from the A-pillars, Consumer Reports found that some SUV and pickup models have high hoods. They obstruct the driver’s view, which can cause the possibility of collision when pedestrians suddenly cross in front of the vehicles.

The hood heights of modern pickup trucks have risen to 11 percent since 2000. One good example is the hood of a 2017 Ford F-250. The hood is 55 inches off the ground, which can be as tall as the roof of smaller cars.

Keeping pedestrians safer

The safety-assist systems in pickups and SUVs can help reduce the chance of pedestrian collision. But it is still crucial for drivers to be mindful when turning on corners. The study shows that large vehicles have become a safety hazard.

Photo Credit: Cameron

IIHS has given its recommendations to resolve the problem of poor visibility from inside large vehicles and decrease the rate of pedestrian deaths and injuries. With the continued risk in the safety of pedestrians, we can only hope that automakers will address the issue. Let’s hope they start making the needed design changes to ensure the safety of pedestrians, as well as the drivers and passengers of these large segment automobiles.

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About the Creator

Jen Demkin

Hi, I'm Jen from 4WheelOnline. My fascination with vehicles started in my childhood. I like cars more than dolls. I enjoy writing about automotive industry news, vehicle maintenance tips, and more.

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