75% More Pedestrians Have Been Killed Since 2009. Giant Trucks and SUVs Are Why

Key Points:

• Since 2009, pedestrian fatalities in the U.S. have increased by 75%, reversing decades of decline, largely due to the rise in size and weight of pickup trucks and SUVs.
• A study by The New York Times and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety estimates that 200 to 400 pedestrian deaths annually could have been prevented if vehicle sizes had remained consistent over the past 25 years.
• Regulatory changes, including the EPA’s “footprint model” and programs like Cash for Clunkers, inadvertently encouraged automakers to produce larger vehicles, contributing to the popularity of SUVs and crossovers over smaller sedans.
• Larger and taller vehicles pose greater risks to pedestrians because their mass increases impact force, and higher impact points lead to more severe injuries due to poor driver visibility and pedestrian positioning during collisions.
• Despite advances in vehicle safety and control, the growth in vehicle size and weight has resulted in a significant increase in pedestrian fatalities, highlighting a trade-off between vehicle design trends and road safety.