PEDESTRIAN deaths caused by vehicles have rocketed by 59 percent in the last 12 years, according to new data.
The number of people killed in accidents has increased every year since 2009, with researchers blaming an increase in Americans driving larger cars, SUVs, and pickup trucks.
Pickup trucks are 80 percent more likely to cause pedestrian crashes than smaller cars, according to the study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Vans and SUVs are 45 percent and 61 percent more likely to be involved in an accident respectively.
With more people buying larger cars, researchers are looking into the exact reasoning behind the high number of pedestrian crashes.
“It’s possible that the size, shape or location of the A-pillars that support the roof on either side of the windshield could make it harder for drivers of these larger vehicles to see crossing pedestrians when they are turning,” said IIHS Senior Transportation Engineer Wen Hu.
Pickup trucks’ right turns are 89 percent more likely to cause pedestrian deaths compared to that of smaller cars, and vans and minivans were found to be 63 percent more likely.
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In 2022, there have been 1,503 pedestrian accidents, with 99 fatal crashes, WJXT reports.
“Improving vehicle design, along with addressing road infrastructure and vehicle speeds, can play an important part in reducing pedestrian crashes and fatalities,” Hu says.
“Our findings suggest that looking at the problem through the lens of vehicle type could also be productive.”