- NHTSA proposes a new rule designed to reduce fatalities from vehicle/pedestrian collisions.
- It specifically mentions full-size pickups and SUVs sold in the US market.
- The proposed rule is currently in an evaluation period and open for public comment.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), vehicle-pedestrian fatalities are up 33 percent over the last 20 years. This comes as fewer people inside cars are dying, and the NHTSA wants to do something about that. A proposed rule seeks new crash standards designed to mitigate pedestrian head injuries in front-end collisions. That could present problems for pickup trucks and SUVs, which are bigger than ever.
The rule doesn't call out specific vehicle designs, but it does highlight "essentially the entire pickup truck and large SUV segments" in the United States. Particular attention falls to hood designs, though on especially bulky vehicles, the rule could also consider grilles and fascias. It would require vehicles to meet certain metrics involving contact with the side of pedestrians, as most collisions occur from someone walking in front of a vehicle. Two head sizes—one approximating a six-year-old child and the other an adult—would be used in testing.
The 238-page document is packed with guidelines and recommendations on hood structures, fenders, and establishing parameters for how pedestrians might hit them. But the takeaway is that these structures would need to better mitigate the force of a pedestrian head impact to make it more survivable.
“We have a crisis of roadway deaths, and it’s even worse among vulnerable road users like pedestrians," said NHTSA Deputy Administrator Sophie Shulman. "Between 2013 and 2022, pedestrian fatalities increased 57 percent from 4,779 to 7,522. This proposed rule will ensure that vehicles will be designed to protect those inside and outside from serious injury or death. We will continue to work to make our roads safer for everyone and help protect vulnerable road users.”
Much attention has come to trucks and SUVs in recent years for larger front clips that can cause greater injury to pedestrians while also affecting visibility for the driver. Last year, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) concluded that vehicles with tall front ends pose a large risk to pedestrians, but it goes beyond big trucks. The report was also critical towards medium-sized vehicles with flat, blunt faces, which also have increased risk. Such design trends are extremely popular these days.
The proposed rule is currently under consideration and is in its 60-day period of public comment.
