U.S. "fondness for tall SUVs and pickups" compounding risks for pedestrians in crashes, IIHS study finds

Researchers at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety who looked back at data on more than 200 vehicle-pedestrian crashes in the U.S. say Americans' preference for large, tall vehicles is compounding the risks of serious injury to pedestrians associated with higher-speed crashes. The authors of the IIHS study conclude that the size of many American vehicles means serious pedestrian injuries are more likely in crashes when compared to the expected risks on the roads in Europe, where vehicles are generally smaller. 

IIHS researchers analyzed 202 crashes involving a vehicle and at least one pedestrian aged 16 or older between 2015 and 2022 in four states, "to generate an estimate for the link between injury outcomes and impact speed," with information about the front-end height of the vehicles being used additionally "to examine the moderating effect of" the vehicle's size on the outcome for the pedestrians.

"A small increase in crash speed can really ramp up the danger to a pedestrian. Our fondness for tall SUVs and pickups in the U.S. has intensified that effect," IIHS President David Harkey was quoted as saying about the study's findings.