Taller Vehicles Amplify Danger for Pedestrians in Collisions
Recent research underscores the escalating danger of vehicle size and speed in pedestrian accidents. According to a study spearheaded by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the height of a vehicle’s front end is a major factor in severity of pedestrian injuries.
A study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows higher speeds are worse for pedestrians regardless of vehicle height — but those risks are amplified for vehicles with taller front ends.
Researchers have long known that speed is a critical factor in pedestrian safety. However, the IIHS study highlights the additional risks posed by the increasing prevalence of taller vehicles, such as SUVs and light trucks. The front ends of these vehicles, which can measure 40 inches or more, have been shown to cause more serious injuries, particularly when combined with higher speeds.
“We looked at how the risk of a serious injury or fatality increased as the speed in a crash went up,” explained Jessica Cicchino, senior vice president for research at IIHS. “And we saw that it increased much faster for taller vehicles than it did for shorter vehicles.”
Height and Speed: A Dangerous Combination
The IIHS study analyzed real-world crash data, revealing that while higher speeds amplify the risk of serious injury regardless of vehicle type. Furthermore, the risk escalates more rapidly with taller vehicles. The data indicates that in the United States, where taller vehicles are now the norm, pedestrians face a higher likelihood of severe injuries at lower speeds.
The implications could affect the appropriateness of common speed limits. “As we have more of these taller vehicles, we need to be paying more attention to what kinds of speeds we want the vehicles to go in areas where there are a lot of pedestrians,” said Cicchino.
Calls for Action
This study gives force to ongoing efforts around pedestrian safety. Representative Mary Gay Scanlon, a supporter of increased safety, has sponsored a bill that would set federal safety standards for hood heights. “We’ve seen these standards over time improve vehicle safety with a focus on the people in the vehicle. But this would sort of expand that to pedestrians, bicyclists and people outside the vehicle,” Scanlon told NPR.
Federal regulators, including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), are also responding to the rise in pedestrian fatalities by proposing a rule for vehicle design aimed at lowering injuries. According to Sophie Shulman, NHTSA’s deputy administrator, the agency recognizes a crisis of roadway deaths, particularly among pedestrians. The new rule seeks to integrate designs that protect people inside and outside the vehicle.
The Broader Context
With more than 7,000 pedestrian deaths annually in the United States, vehicle design and speed limits have a significant impact on public safety. Crash prevention technologies, such as automatic emergency braking, present significant promise, although their implementation and scope remain under debate amongst safety advocates and the auto industry. IIHS researchers further studied data from hundreds of vehicle-pedestrian collisions, drawing on detailed records to analyze factors leading to injury and fatalities, demonstrating the intersection of speed, vehicle design, and the ongoing need for safety improvements.
