The likelihood of a cyclist or pedestrian being fatally injured is 44% higher if they are hit by an SUV or light truck compared to smaller passenger cars, according to new research from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, published today.
Researchers used real-world collision data from more than 680,000 collisions over the last 35 years as part of a new analysis of existing studies.
The odds of fatal injury increased by 44% for people of all ages struck by an SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle), compared to those hit by a regular passenger car, while the odds for children increased by 82%, and 130% among children under the age of 10.
More SUVs
The authors of the study estimate that the proportion of car crashes involving an SUV is around 45% in the USA and around 20% in Europe, with SUVs said to be making up 48% of new car sales globally in 2023, up from 15% in 2010.
They say that if all SUVs were replaced with regular passenger cars, the number of pedestrians and cyclists killed in car crashes would decrease by an estimated 17% in the USA and by 8% in Europe.
Anna Goodman, assistant professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and senior author of the study, says there has been a huge increase in the sale of ever-larger cars worldwide with the “findings indicating that this proliferation of larger vehicles threatens to undermine all the road safety gains being made on other fronts".
A previous study highlighted a key reason for the increased risk is likely to be the taller and blunter profile of the front end of SUVs, with a taller front end meaning a pedestrian or cyclist is struck higher up on their body (e.g. the pelvis not the knees for an adult, or the head not the pelvis for a child). It also means the pedestrian or cyclist is more likely to be thrown forward onto the road, at which point the striking vehicle may hit them a second time or roll over their body.
Oliver Lord, UK Head of the Clean Cities Campaign, responded to the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine research with this statement: "It’s alarming to see fresh evidence confirming SUVs are linked to more fatal crashes. No-one buying a car would want to put children at greater risk.
"We urgently need government to take action on carspreading. Councils could introduce fairer parking charges that reflect the size and weight of these vehicles, while government reviews taxes to address the real harm caused by supersized SUVs. That would provide more opportunity to invest in priorities like fixing potholes and better public transport.”
Elsa Robinson, who worked on the study as an MSc Public Health student, says: "analysing over half a million crashes from countries from across the world tells us that SUVs and other similarly large vehicles are much more likely than traditional passenger cars to cause serious harm if they strike a pedestrian or cyclist.
“Our findings also highlight that these larger vehicles are particularly dangerous for children, especially young children. This could be because children are shorter in height, and are therefore more vulnerable to the risks of being hit by vehicles with a tall front end.”
