Trucks and sport utility vehicles with hood heights greater than 40 inches are about 45% more likely to cause fatalities in pedestrian crashes than shorter vehicles with sloped hoods, according to new research from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
U.S. vehicle fuel efficiency standards administered by NHTSA have encouraged automakers to build larger vehicles. The bigger the vehicle, the lower the fuel efficiency target it has to meet.
Yeah preverse incentives. When doing the wrong thing makes the most sense for the individual. Happens often in tragedy of the commons situations.
If you hit a pedestrian it is better for you that they die. If you find an endangered animal on your land it is better for you to kill it. If you have a child with someone who makes minimum wage it is better for you to divorce.
Maybe it is too much to expect but for things like this, when public policy experts came up with a standard instead of just inheriting a situation, that they plan for these things in advance. Spend a few moments and look at where the incentives are before just hammering a new policy into place.
Recently bought a new diesel silverado 3500 for my ranch. It's enormous, I'm glad I didn't get the dually option as it's hard enough to drive in the city. Most of its job however is pulling trailers around.
That said, on highway if I drive the speed limit and take it easy I can get 9L/100km. It's unreal that such a huge truck will get almost the same economy as our KIA SUV.
The US public has repeatedly demonstrated that it would rather die than make even minor adjustments in their lives.
So don't expect anything to get done.
I have been thinking about getting some "Child Killer" stickers to start slapping on trucks that are particularly unsafe and huge. I don't get why in neighborhoods that in all kinds of other ways frowns upon putting kids at risk (no driving fast for example) dumbass men are allowed to own MASSIVE trucks that raise the risk of running a child over by a huge amount and no one shames them.
I have a small truck, and its A pillar has blocked my view of pedestrians more than once. I have to move my head to check. With big vehicles, I imagine there's even more of a problem.
I ran over my friend in high school while driving a Ford Ranger. She is 5'1 but still, if her hands hadn't flopped up in the air I might've killed her. Worst part is, I'd just dropped her off.
Always need to be careful driving a big vehicle. Learned that the hard way.
Its actually the opposite, the bigger and boxy-er the vehicle, the bigger the windows and the less obstructions from bodywork. The added height also allows you to see much further away and over obstructions like lines of cars, stopped traffic, landscaping, etc.
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I've responded to a bunch of "car vs pedestrian" calls. With adults a low speed hit is usually some minor injuries like lower legs, arms, etc. If they're hit hard sometimes their head hits the windshield. The victim ends up on top of the hood and rolls off the side or up and over the car.
If it's a truck their injuries are more serious. Hip, rib, shoulder/arm, spine, and head injuries. They get hit high and knocked into the ground -- and sometimes partially or completely run over.
Big cars are heavier, taller, and have larger blind spots. The first two make them deadlier in an accident, the last makes it easier to run someone over in a crosswalk, parking lot or driveway.