Americans' preference for large, tall vehicles could be making pedestrian collisions more risky, according to researchers at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
A recent IIHS study found the size of American vehicles makes serious pedestrian injuries more likely in crashes when compared to pedestrian injuries in Europe, where cars are typically smaller. Researchers found that impact speed predicted injury risk, while the height of the vehicle's hood significantly increased pedestrian risk. "In general, higher vehicle front ends increased the likelihood of both moderate and serious pedestrian injuries," IIHS said.
Researchers found that when a median-height pickup — which has a front end roughly 13 inches higher than most cars — hits a pedestrian at 27 mph, there's an 83% chance of moderate injury and a 62% chance of serious injury. For a median-height car going the same speed, there's just a 60% chance of moderate injury and a 30% chance of serious injury.
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Corey Dahl
Corey Dahl is assistant editor with PropertyCasualty360.com. Reach her at [email protected].
