SUVs, large vehicles prone to hitting pedestrians during turns

Sport utility vehicles, multi-purpose vehicles, and pickups offer advantages in terms of size, ground clearance, and carrying capacity over smaller cars. However, they also carry an increased risk of injury to pedestrians while making turns. 

A U.S. study finds that large vehicles pose a risk to pedestrians while making turns 

This was the assessment of U.S.-based non-profit organization Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). A previous study conducted by the group found that SUVs and pickups are more lethal to pedestrians than sedans and hatchbacks. 

The latest IIHS research suggests that certain types of pedestrian crashes are more likely with bigger vehicles including vans and minivans, especially when the vehicle is turning around a corner. Previous reports have pointed to blind spots created by the vehicle's A-pillars that make it difficult for drivers to see pedestrians.  

“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.   

The research points to the vehicle's A-pillars as hindering the driver's peripheral vision

While stronger pillars are necessary on bigger vehicles to protect occupants in a crash, these could also compromise the driver’s line of sight. Ride heights and long front ends were also seen to contribute to this handicap.  

At intersections, the chances of a crossing pedestrian killed by a vehicle making a left turn was twice as high for SUVs, almost three times as high for vans and minivans, and nearly four times as high for pickups as they were for small passenger cars. For pedestrians killed by vehicles making a right turn, the risks were 63 percent higher for SUVs and 89 percent higher for pickups compared to smaller models.  

According to the IIHS, these turning crashes comprise over 900 of an estimated 5,800 fatal crashes involving pedestrians at U.S. intersections between 2014 and 2018. 

Statistics show an increased risk of pedestrians being killed by SUVs and other large vehicles turning at intersections  

Elsewhere, SUVs and pickups carried a 51 percent and 25 percent higher risk, respectively, of killing pedestrians who were walking or running along the side of the road than cars do. Such incidents accounted for around 2,500 out of an estimated 14,000 fatal pedestrian crashes in the U.S. that did not involve intersections.         

“We already know that larger vehicles cause more severe injuries when they strike pedestrians,” said IIHS Vice President of Research Jessica Cicchino, one of the study’s authors. “The link between these vehicle types and certain common pedestrian crashes points to another way that the increase in SUVs on the roads might be changing the crash picture.”

Travelers on foot need to be extra alert when SUVs, pickups, and other large vehicles are around

Among the vehicle design solutions that could address these concerns are automated emergency braking (AEB) systems that can detect and avoid pedestrians or reduce impact speeds. Hoods that incorporate airbags or automatically pop up on impact are also being considered.  

“Improving vehicle design, along with addressing road infrastructure and vehicle speeds, can play an important part in reducing pedestrian crashes and fatalities,” Hu said. “Our findings suggest that looking at the problem through the lens of vehicle type could also be productive.” 

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