US seeks new pedestrian safety rules aimed at increasingly massive SUVs and pickup trucks

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: AP

Updated 3:44 PM EDT, September 9, 2024


DETROIT (AP) -- The U.S. government's road safety agency wants the auto industry to design new vehicles including increasingly large SUVs and pickup trucks so they reduce pedestrian deaths and injuries.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Monday that for the first time it's proposing a new rule setting testing and performance requirements to minimize the risk of pedestrian head injuries.

The rule would cover all passenger vehicles weighing 10,000 pounds or less, but it's is aimed largely at big SUVs and pickups, which have grown in size and hood height over the years, causing blind spots for drivers.

NHTSA said pedestrian deaths increased 57% from 2013 to 2022, from 4,779 to 7,522. The agency says the rule would save 67 lives per year. Data show that nearly half of all pedestrian deaths when hit by the front of a vehicle are most common for SUVs and trucks.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/us-pedestrian-safety-rule-suvs-pickup-trucks-8ab66c3416dcb91484ec502d6e114ad1

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Link to NHTSA PRESS RELEASE - NHTSA Proposes New Vehicle Safety Standard to Better Protect Pedestrians

[BWdem4life]

1. Seattle has just doubled the number of "no turn on red" signs

And any new signal will have one.

[sakabatou]

2. I wouldn't be surprised if some tests came back

and had crashes where and when the test dummies got hit, it made them slide under the truck. Remember, vehicles are supposed to pass when a dummy sides onto the hood, IIRC.

[Jack from Charlotte]

3. Billy-Bob is going to go batsh*t......

There's been a competition beween pick up truck makers, Ford, GM and Dodge.... I mean Ram. to see who can make the biggest, badest, toughest looking front end. Look at the tv pu truck ads the last 5-10 years. Look at the photo of the front of those pu's and SUVs. A child crossing the street in front of these vehicles cannot be seen. There's no reason the vehicles are so high in front other than "looks." DOT outlawed the hood ornament years ago because it was slicing people up who were hit by the front of vehicles.

[progree]

6. Ughhh - "DOT outlawed the hood ornament years ago because it was slicing people up who were hit by the front of vehicles

I didn't know that. Sheesh, I'm glad they did.

Lately (since June 2019) I've been in pedestrian and take-the-bus mode. 5 years already.

[intheflow]

4. This will help drivers who drive compact cars.

Like me. I’m sick of not being able to see around corners because these huge vehicles are parked on our tiny little northeast city streets.

[MichMan]

8. The proposed standards have nothing to do with reducing the size

Just make them safer for pedestrians who are struck by them

[IL Dem]

15. It's a challenge when driving a normal sized sedan, too. n/t

[bucolic_frolic]

5. Guy yelled at me last week

"Get the F*** out of the way!!"

He seemed nice.

[Easterncedar]

7. How about we outlaw the friggin things?

They whine about gas prices while driving a dick-wagging monster truck. No one should have the right to be so wasteful and polluting, including bitcoin miners and space tourists and mega yacht owners and on and on.

[MichMan]

9. Add a $5 a gallon gas tax increase and people will abandon them by droves

As long as gas is affordable, people are going to continue to buy them. With gas prices going down, they will even look more appealing to buyers

[Easterncedar]

10. I'm with you!

[travelingthrulife]

11. Easier to just ban them. I read truck sizes have been increased by something

like 17% last year over the year before.
Why do we allow this foolishness when dealing with climate change?

[EX500rider]

14. "How about we outlaw the friggin things?" You do understand towing heavy things is a thing?

[Easterncedar]

16. Are we all towing bigger stuff now?

Ok. Exception for actual working vehicles.

[GenThePerservering]

17. I doubt 10% of those twats driving TDS trucks

are towing anything with them. Don't make excuses.

[EX500rider]

18. I don't need to make excuses

It's a free country want a big truck buy a big truck

[AndyTiedye]

19. How About We Design Them So the Driver Has an Unobstructed View

There are uses for large trucks. There is no need for them to be constructed so that the driver cannot see pedestrians in front of the vehicle!

Particularly for the new electric trucks, why have a huge "engine" compartment WHEN THERE IS NO ENGINE IN THERE?

[EX500rider]

20. The Cyber truck seems to have a small hood and good view

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[AndyTiedye]

22. Could Have Glare Issues With that Winshield Angle though

It is true that the Cybertruck at least doesn't have a 5-foot-high engine compartment at the front. They got one thing right.

[ArkansasDemocrat1]

12. I wouldn't buy a full sized pickup. A Colorado is on my short list

Don't need some giant compensation device for my virility

[Boomerproud]

13. I call them apartments on wheels.

Yep. They're the ones who scream about high gas prices.

[RubyRose]

21. Nothing is going to prevent a nearly three ton

vehicle from killing a pedestrian if it collides with him or her.