JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A new study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows pedestrian deaths have risen 59% since 2009.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says more people are buying larger vehicles.
They are concerned that the type of car is what’s causing a rise in pedestrian deaths.
Their study says vans, SUVs, and pickups are 45%, 61%, and 80% more likely than smaller cars to hit pedestrians walking across the road.
We know bigger cars cause more harm when they hit pedestrians, but researchers are looking into the line of sight – specifically when drivers make turns.
They say when SUVs are turning they are twice as likely as cars to kill a pedestrian.
Right turns with pickup trucks are 89% more likely to kill a pedestrian, vans, and minivans are three times as likely.
The research also says the bars on either side of the windshield, or the A-pillars make it hard for drivers to see pedestrians crossing the road. They tend to be bigger in larger vehicles.
Data from the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles says there were 9,524 pedestrian crashes in 2021, 838 died.
So far this year, there’s been 1,503 pedestrian crashes, with 99 of them being deadly.
Researchers say improving how cars are designed, addressing speed limits and road infrastructure can help reduce pedestrian crashes.