Researchers at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, who looked at data on more than 200 vehicle-pedestrian crashes in the U.S., say Americans' preference for larger, taller vehicles may be linked to a higher risk of serious injury to pedestrians associated with high-speed crashes. Increasing the risk. author of IIHS study conclude that the size of many American vehicles means that pedestrians are more likely to suffer serious injury in crashes than would be expected on the roads of Europe, where vehicles are generally smaller.
IIHS researchers analyzed 202 crashes involving a vehicle and at least one pedestrian 16 years of age or older in four states between 2015 and 2022 to estimate “the relationship between injury outcomes and impact speed.” To generate this, “vehicles are additionally being used to examine the moderating effect of vehicle size on the pedestrian outcome with information about frontal height.”
IIHS President David Harkey was quoted as saying about the study's findings, “Small increases in crash speed can actually increase the danger to the pedestrian. Our fondness for tall SUVs and pickups in America has led to that effect.” Has been increased.”
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While it was already understood that greater speed at the point of impact increases the risk for pedestrians being struck by vehicles, the IIHS said the new study “provides an overview of the risk of pedestrian injury at different severity levels.” This was done to provide “updated estimates”, which are under development. The design of vehicles on American roads today.
The IIHS said, “As expected, impact speed strongly predicted injury risk, and the height of the hood's leading edge significantly increased the risk of pedestrian injury as well as impact speed for serious injuries.” Capacity increased significantly.”
While the study found no significant changes in risk to pedestrians based on the weight of the vehicles involved, the IIHS said that, “In general, higher vehicle frontal exposure increases the likelihood of moderate and serious pedestrian injuries.” She goes.”
For example, it says that when a mid-height pickup, whose front end is about 13 inches higher than most cars, hits a pedestrian at 27 mph, moderate injury will occur. There is an 83% chance of serious injury and a 62% chance of serious injury, compared to 60% and 30% respectively if the vehicle involved in the accident is a car of average height.
“Although SUV market share is growing in Europe, passenger vehicle fleets there have long been dominated by cars,” said Sam Monfort, senior statistician at IIHS. “In contrast, the majority of passenger vehicles on U.S. roads today are SUVs or There are pickups.” The institute quoted the study's lead author as saying. “These choices have very real consequences for pedestrian safety.”
“Increases in speed have a more pronounced impact when taller vehicles are involved in a crash,” the organization said. “For example, as crash speed increases from 15 mph to 35 mph, the risk of serious injury when a mid-height car is involved increases from 9% to 52%. A mid-height with [height] Pickup, the risk increases from 11% to 91%.”
Of earlier Research published by IIHS in 2022 found that drivers of larger vehicles were more likely to hit pedestrians while taking a turn than drivers of cars etc. IIHS study Published last year, pickups, SUVs and vans with hoods higher than 40 inches over the front edge are about 45% more likely to kill pedestrians in crashes than cars and other vehicles with low, sloping hoods. Was.
However, despite concerns over the impact of larger vehicles on US pedestrian crashes, data shows that 2023 will see the first overall increase in Year-on-year decline in pedestrian deaths from vehicle accidents in about four years, since Covid-19 pandemicThe number of pedestrians killed on U.S. roads in 2023 dropped 5.4% from the previous year — a 40-year high — but it was still 14.1% more than the number of deaths recorded in 2019, before the pandemic. Was more. according to Governors Highway Safety Association.