DETROIT (AP). Drivers of larger vehicles, such as pickup trucks and SUVs, are more likely to hit pedestrians while cornering than car drivers, according to a new study.
A study released Thursday by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety points to the growing popularity of large vehicles as a possible factor in the rise in pedestrian deaths on US roads. The authors also wondered if the wider pillars that hold up the roofs of large vehicles prevent drivers from noticing people walking around the corners of the vehicles.
“The association between these vehicle types and some common pedestrian crashes indicates that an increase in the number of SUVs on the roads could be changing the crash landscape,” said Jessica Cicchino, study author and vice president of research at the institute.
While the study cites previous research showing blind spots caused by “A-pillars” between the windshield and cockpit, the authors said more research is needed to link blind spots to increased mortality.
In 2020, the latest year for which complete statistics are available, 6,519 pedestrians were killed in the US, according to government figures. This is 59% more than in 2009 and 4% more than in 2019, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
During the same period, sales of SUVs and pickups skyrocketed. Pickup trucks, SUVs and vans accounted for 47% of all new vehicle sales in the US in 2009, according to Motorintelligence.com. Last year, light trucks accounted for more than three-quarters of new vehicle sales.
However, not all SUVs and pickup trucks have blind spots. Compact SUVs, for example, currently make up the majority of the US market.
The study also found that larger vehicles were more likely than cars to have crashes when pedestrians were standing, walking or running at the edge of the road and away from intersections.
The researchers looked at federal statistics on pedestrian fatalities as well as all pedestrian accidents reported by the North Carolina Police Department from 2010 to 2018.
Statistics from North Carolina showed that pickup trucks were 42% more likely than cars to hit pedestrians when turning left. SUVs were 23% more likely to hit people than cars. The study found that there was no significant difference in the likelihood of a right turn crash for different types of vehicles.
Outside intersections, pickup trucks were 80% more likely than cars to hit pedestrians on the road. According to the IIHS, SUVs are 61% more likely and minivans are 45% more likely to hit people than cars.
Trucks, SUVs and vans typically have thicker “front pillars” than cars due to federal roof strength standards to prevent collapse in rollover crashes, according to the IIHS. Poles are usually wider because they have to support more weight from larger vehicles.
And pillars aren’t the only thing that creates blind spots in big cars. Consumer Reports found last year that high hoods also make it difficult for a driver to see pedestrians crossing the road in front of vehicles.
“You have to look farther to see something over that tall hood,” said Jennifer Stockburger, director of operations for the Consumer Reports Auto Test Center.
The magazine and website found that pickup truck hood height has grown 11% since 2000. The hood of a heavy 2017 Ford F-250 pickup truck was 55 inches above the ground, Stockburger said, which is the height of some car roofs.
Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, which sell the majority of large SUVs and pickup trucks in the US, declined to comment on the study. Messages were left asking for comment from Auto Innovators, an industry trade group.
Automakers could use stronger metals to make the A-pillars smaller and improve visibility, said Wen Hu, IIHS senior transportation engineer and co-author of the study. “These larger machines need stronger supports, we all understand that,” she said. “Increasing the size of the A-pillar is not the only way to increase strength.”
The IIHS, which is funded by auto insurance companies, is looking into vehicle safety.
Stockburger said the industry could also look into sight lines on larger vehicles, as well as adding automatic emergency braking systems that detect pedestrians.
Most automakers have promised to make automatic emergency braking standard on almost all of their new models by September this year. In addition, federal safety regulators are proposing to make these systems mandatory on all new vehicles.