According to ConsumerReports.org, modern pickup truck designs are causing a spike in fatal pedestrian versus truck collisions. Last December, a 60-year-old woman was struck in a crosswalk. The victim lay crying in pain from internal injuries and broken bones. Tragically, the woman passed away at a local area hospital later that day.
The pickup truck driver explained to investigating police officers that he did not see the women walking along the crosswalk.
The victim’s daughter stated that her mother would have likely survived the collision had she not been hit by such a large motor vehicle. She is now working with “Families for Safe Streets,” which is urging the New York Legislature to pass laws that require safety warnings placed on large vehicles that describe the dangers larger vehicles pose to pedestrians on the road and reduce speed limits in urban areas.
A study conducted by ConsumerReports.org measured the front visibility of fifteen new full-sized pickup trucks. The study measured the height and length of the trucks’ hoods and looked measured each vehicle’s blind spots. According to the study’s results, some full-sized pickup trucks had front blind spots eleven feet longer than typical sedans and seven feet longer than several popular Sports Utility Vehicles.
Small Children Are at a Grave Risk of Death Due to “Frontover” Collisions
According to Jennifer Stockburger, the Director of Operations at Consumer Reports’ Auto Test Center, accidents caused by a vehicle’s front blind spot while driving in a parking lot or driveway are called “frontover” collisions. Stockburger also stated that small children are particularly vulnerable to frontover collisions because drivers in large trucks are unable to see the children in front of or next to their front bumper.
Vehicle safety group KidsAndCars.org states that there have been nearly 1,000 frontover fatalities from 1990 until 2019, and most victims were between 12 and 23 months old. The advocacy group also reported that more than 80% of those tragic deaths involved an SUV, truck, or van.
The vehicle that struck and killed the 60-year-old woman was a Jeep Gladiator, and the vehicle is 45.5 inches high, according to ConsumerReports.org. In fact, Jeep markets the Gladiator as a truck that can “conquer” the road. The consumer demand for larger trucks is creating a life-threatening danger due to their taller hoods, stiff body-on-frame designs, large blind spots, and substantial weight, which typically exceeds 4,000 pounds. The dimensions of these large trucks and SUVs are particularly deadly in pedestrian collisions. Moreover, people driving smaller cars who are involved in crashes with these large pickup trucks and SUVs are often injured more severely or killed.
Stellantis, the parent company of Jeep, offered its condolences to the victim. However, company executives told Consumer Reports that their U.S. vehicles either meet or exceed federal safety standards.
According to Consumer Reports’ analysis of auto industry data, the average hood height of pickup trucks increased by 11% since 2000, and newer pickup trucks were an average of 24% heavier from 2000 to 2018. Heavy-duty pickup trucks, like the Ford F-250, have a hood height of 55″ or more. Consumer Reports states that at this height, the hood of a Ford F-250 is taller than the roof of some cars. New Consumer Reports data illustrated that drivers have worse front sight lines than ever before, and this creates a dangerous blind spot that can hide a smaller car or pedestrian.
in 2022, over 42,000 people were tragically killed, and nearly 5 million people were seriously injured on U.S. roadways. This is an 8% increase over 2021. According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, pedestrian deaths have grown more than 46% over the past ten years, and these fatalities reflect societal injustices. Low-income individuals have a greater chance of being hit by a motor vehicle. Moreover, elderly pedestrians and those who use wheelchairs are at a more heightened risk of mortality when they are struck by a motor vehicle. The Governors Highway Safety Association states that “African-Americans, Hispanics, and Indigenous people are overrepresented in pedestrian crash fatalities.”
The reason for the rising death toll indicates that the increasing dimensions of pickup trucks and SUVs are contributing to the number of fatal crashes, particularly when a full-sized pickup truck strikes a cyclist, a person, or a smaller passenger vehicle.
According to Consumer Reports, the following pickup trucks have systems that Consumer Reports deems critical.
- Chevrolet Colorado, Silverado 1500, 2500HD, and 3500HD
- Ford F-150, F-250, F-350, and Ranger
- GMC Canyon, Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500HD, and Sierra 3500HD
- Honda Ridgeline
- Jeep Gladiator
- Nissan Frontier, Titan, and Titan XD
- Ram 1500, 1500 Classic, 2500, and 3500
- Toyota Tacoma, and Tundra
Consumer Reports also found that heavy-duty pickup trucks are less likely than passenger cars and SUVs to have advanced safety systems as standard features. Automatic emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection is known to be effective in preventing pedestrian collisions, yet only Toyota, Ford, Nissan, and Honda are the only auto manufacturers that make this standard equipment across their pickup truck models.
Full-sized pickups are in substantial demand across the United States. In fact, the three best-selling motor vehicles in the United States are pickup trucks, and pickups account for one of every five new motor vehicles sold each year. Full-sized pickup trucks, like the Silverado, F-150, Toyota Tundra, Ram 1500, and Nissan Titan, account for 79% of the pickup market, and this is up 12% from 2000.
Traffic safety advocates state that pickup truck designers must reduce weight or lower hoods to make these vehicles safer for pedestrians. However, auto manufacturers are unwilling to make these changes since pickup trucks are a significant source of their profits. Industry analysts believe offering pickup trucks that have “imposing front ends” has been an effective sales strategy for truck manufacturers.
According to Angie Schmitt, 3MPH Planning and Consulting’s founder, auto manufacturers are selling a lifestyle. Schmitt’s firm focuses on pedestrian safety, and she believes that these large trucks are marketed as being a display of masculinity, and she believes it works.
Becky Mueller, a senior research engineer at the IIHS, says when these full-sized pickup trucks collide with pedestrians, the truck’s higher bumper and tall front end cause more severe injuries because the impact’s forces transfer directly to the pedestrian’s hips and pelvis. This hood height also causes head injuries to smaller adults and children due to head-to-hood contact. Mueller also stated that pickup trucks usually push a pedestrian down and then run over them due to the hood height, and this is a much more deadly situation.
Consumer Reports, during safety testing, discovered that bigger vehicles have a more difficult time avoiding accidents. Consumer Reports’ Senior Director of Auto Testing, Jake Fisher, said that large vehicles and pickup trucks routinely perform worse in their emergency braking and handling tests.
According to the IIHS, a car’s driver is almost two times more likely to pass away in a two-vehicle accident with a pickup truck. Modern pickup trucks with four-wheel drive can weigh as much as 5,000 pounds. When smaller vehicles collide with these large pickup trucks, the weight inequities put people’s lives in danger.
In 2015 the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration suggested adding a pedestrian safety element to the agency’s New Car Assessment Program. The measure stalled, but the NHTSA is planning to announce improvements to its New Car Assessment Program.
Traffic safety experts believe that states and cities must also improve cycling and pedestrian infrastructure at locations where trucks share the roads with pedestrians. Moreover, municipalities should work to reduce speed limits in areas that have a history of pedestrian collisions.
Japanese and European lawmakers have imposed pedestrian-safety standards on auto manufacturers for many years. These regulations have led to many safety innovations, such as the “Active Hood.” The Active Hood is an airbag-like cushioning for a vehicle’s hood. Since American automakers and regulators have been slow to create safer vehicles, this helps to explain why occupant and driver fatalities have remained stable over the past ten years while pedestrian deaths have increased by nearly 50%.
CONTACT PARKER WAICHMAN LLP FOR A FREE CASE REVIEW
Parker Waichman LLP helps families recover monetary compensation for harm caused by dangerous drivers and defective vehicle design. For your free consultation, contact our Pedestrian Accident Law Firm today by using our live chat or calling 1-800-YOUR-LAWYER (1-800-968-7529).
.svg){kind=small}
.avif)
.avif)
