Hi Brandon - thanks for sharing what anyone on foot in the US knows is a huge problem. My family members often walk or cycle for errands, commuting or just for fun. Like many folks on foot, we’ve noticed a trend towards more massive vehicles - taller hoods in particular that make it more difficult for drivers to see pedestrians in front and to the sides. The stats you point out make the impacts clear. Not the progress we need to make towards Vision Zero.
And somehow the best we can do here in the states is mandate that WHEN pedestrians ARE struck, the hood does less damage? Seems crazy to me that we’re not demanding tougher standards for driver visibility in addition to making the streets themselves safer for pedestrians and cyclists.
Thanks for the thoughtful reply! I too am always walking or cycling places, but there are roads I refuse to bike on, even places with bike lanes, because a thin white line of paint is all that separates me from these massive vehicles (the amount of times I've almost gotten hit by drivers turning right on red...)
I kind of did a research dump this weekend to write this, so I'm still learning as I go. David Zipper's pieces are excellent for a deeper dive, notably this Vox piece which I think touches on what you're referencing, among a bunch of other infuriating rules that essentially have encouraged the manufacturing and purchasing of SUVs and pickup trucks: https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/24139147/suvs-trucks-popularity-federal-policy-pollution.
And thanks for sharing the UN and EU link; I wasn't aware of it. But it's times like these I'm thankful to live in the pretty walkable city of Washington, D.C., but also frustrated to live in a country that is inherently car-centric, especially when effective solutions are being carried out, with success, in other parts of the world — my congestion pricing piece earlier this month is another example of that.
The Vox article was informative, and depressing! I’d heard about the “light truck” exemption, but wasn’t aware of the shadow rule or section 179. No wonder average vehicle sizes in the US have become so massive.
Hi Brandon - thanks for sharing what anyone on foot in the US knows is a huge problem. My family members often walk or cycle for errands, commuting or just for fun. Like many folks on foot, we’ve noticed a trend towards more massive vehicles - taller hoods in particular that make it more difficult for drivers to see pedestrians in front and to the sides. The stats you point out make the impacts clear. Not the progress we need to make towards Vision Zero.
I’m curious if you’ve heard of the proposed NHTSA rule for reducing head impacts on pedestrians. Public comment opened last fall, but I didn’t see any press locally. Officially the comment period is over, but surprisingly in this regime, the website is still accepting inputs. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/09/19/2024-20653/federal-motor-vehicle-safety-standards-pedestrian-head-protection-global-technical-regulation-no-9
There’s also a UN body that harmonizes vehicle regs (of course the US isn’t part of it) which is mandating more pedestrian safety features. The EU also has implemented new rules on driver visibility for commercial trucks that goes into effect next year. https://www.transportenvironment.org/articles/a-new-law-reduces-truck-blindspots-e-truck-designs-can-finish-the-job
And somehow the best we can do here in the states is mandate that WHEN pedestrians ARE struck, the hood does less damage? Seems crazy to me that we’re not demanding tougher standards for driver visibility in addition to making the streets themselves safer for pedestrians and cyclists.
Thanks for the thoughtful reply! I too am always walking or cycling places, but there are roads I refuse to bike on, even places with bike lanes, because a thin white line of paint is all that separates me from these massive vehicles (the amount of times I've almost gotten hit by drivers turning right on red...)
I kind of did a research dump this weekend to write this, so I'm still learning as I go. David Zipper's pieces are excellent for a deeper dive, notably this Vox piece which I think touches on what you're referencing, among a bunch of other infuriating rules that essentially have encouraged the manufacturing and purchasing of SUVs and pickup trucks: https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/24139147/suvs-trucks-popularity-federal-policy-pollution.
And thanks for sharing the UN and EU link; I wasn't aware of it. But it's times like these I'm thankful to live in the pretty walkable city of Washington, D.C., but also frustrated to live in a country that is inherently car-centric, especially when effective solutions are being carried out, with success, in other parts of the world — my congestion pricing piece earlier this month is another example of that.
The Vox article was informative, and depressing! I’d heard about the “light truck” exemption, but wasn’t aware of the shadow rule or section 179. No wonder average vehicle sizes in the US have become so massive.