Pedestrians and cyclists are 44% more likely to die if they are hit by an SUV or similar-sized vehicle rather than a traditional car, a study has found.
The figure rises to 82% for children, the analysis produced by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Imperial College London showed.
Researchers gathered data from more than 680,000 road collisions over the past 35 years.
They compared the severity of injuries suffered by pedestrians or cyclists struck by standard cars with light truck vehicles, which include SUVs, small vans and pick-up trucks.
SUVs have grown in popularity in recent years, with many drivers favouring their higher seating position.
They accounted for a third of all new car registrations in the UK last year, compared with 12% a decade earlier.
SUVs are generally taller, wider and heavier than traditional cars, and less fuel-efficient.
The study highlighted previous research showing that a key reason for the increased risk from SUVs is that they have a taller front end, which means a person is struck higher on their body.
This means an adult is hit in the pelvis rather than the knees, while a child is struck on the head not the pelvis.
A blunter front ends also means a person is more likely to be thrown forward, which could result in the vehicle hitting them a second time or rolling over their body, the report added.
Researchers analysed 24 studies, including 16 from the US, with others from countries such as France, Germany and the Netherlands.
The authors estimate that the proportion of car crashes involving an SUV are around 20% in Europe and 45% in the US.
If all SUVs were replaced by standard cars, the number of pedestrians and cyclists killed in car crashes would decrease by an estimated 8% in Europe and 17% in the US, they said.
Anna Goodman, assistant professor at the LSHTM and senior author of the study, said: “Around the world, we have seen a huge increase in the sale of ever-larger cars.
“Previous research has found that this trend is substantially undermining progress towards net zero goals.
“Similarly, our findings indicate that this proliferation of larger vehicles threatens to undermine all the road safety gains being made on other fronts.
“Cities and countries around the world are starting to introduce measures to discourage the use of these large vehicles, and our study strengthens the road safety rationale for this.”
The research is published in the journal Injury Prevention.
Tanya Braun, director of external affairs and fundraising at charity Living Streets, said: “It’s clear that SUVs make people, especially children, less safe while walking on our streets.
“Nearly 50 child pedestrians are killed or injured in England every day, and every one of those deaths is a tragedy.
“We urgently need more measures to protect pedestrians.
“We’re urging the Government to invest in active travel infrastructure and safe zones around schools that are proven to help keep children safe from vehicles like SUVs.”
Nicholas Lyes, director of policy and standards at road safety charity IAM RoadSmart, said: “The clamour for larger SUVs is associated with demand for roomier vehicles and something sturdier to deal with the UK’s potholed roads.
“The most important factor in reducing collisions is to ensure people in control of these vehicle are better skilled, rather than outright bans.”
Environmental activists claim to have deflated tyres on thousands of SUVs in the UK in recent years.
The Tyre Extinguishers said its supporters have taken action in cities across the country in an attempt to “make it impossible” to own the vehicles in urban areas.
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “The safety of our roads is a priority and there are tough laws in place to stop dangerous driving, no matter which kind of vehicle is used.
“Our School Street schemes support schools to restrict traffic during pick up and drop off times boosting safety and enabling more pupils to walk, wheel or cycle.”
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