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What's Behind the Increase in Pedestrian Deaths Caused by SUVs

A Colorado Springs car accident lawyer can provide help to victims who are hurt or killed in collisions. In recent decades, there has been a general decline in the number of car accident fatalities. However, in the last few years, that trend has started to reverse and more people are being killed. In particular, there has been a rise in specific types of fatalities in auto accidents in recent years. One type of accident that is becoming more common is a pedestrian collision.

Recently, NBC News published a report on the increase in pedestrian accident collisions. According to NBC, there are many reasons why more pedestrians are being killed in accidents but one big cause of  fatalities among people walking is an increase in SUVs on the road.

There's Been an 81% Increase in Pedestrians Killed by SUVs

According to NBC, the number of pedestrians who have been killed in collisions with sports utility vehicles (SUVs) has increased 81 percent over the course of the past 10 years. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety indicated that there are a few key reasons why this has happened, but one of the major reasons for the increase in pedestrians killed is that more drivers than ever have chosen to drive SUVs.

Around half of all car buyers opted for SUVs when purchasing a car, while about 2/3 of all buyers select some type of light truck when they buy a new vehicle. The rising popularity of SUVs has meant that there are many more of these vehicles on the road then ever before.

SUVs are different than passenger cars in important ways. One big difference is that SUVs have a higher front end. The front end on these sports utility vehicles also tends to have a more vertical, rather than a rounded, design.  Because of the design of the vehicles, when an SUV strikes a pedestrian, the pedestrian doesn't have the ability to essentially roll-off of the impact, which can happen when other types of cars hit a pedestrian.

The walker instead absorbs more force from the collision with the SUV and is more likely to be badly hurt as a result of the accident.  This has helped to explain why SUVs are responsible for so many more pedestrian fatalities. In total, since 2009, there has been a roughly 50 percent rise in pedestrians dying in accidents, and a big portion of this increase can be explained by the growth of the SUV market.

While a rise in SUVs on the road has played a big role in the rising number of pedestrians killed in accidents, NBC also indicated that there are other causes of fatalities as well, including distracted driving as more motorists use smart phones.

When drivers engage in dangerous behaviors behind the wheel and cause accidents, they can be held accountable for resulting damages no matter what kind of car they drive. A Colorado Springs accident lawyer can provide help to victims who have been harmed by collisions so contact an attorney today for assistance making a claim for compensation from a driver who hurt you.

July 24th, 2018 | Posted by paperstreet, on Personal Injury

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