Greater danger from SUVs and vans

In news that will surprise nobody who ever walks or cycles, research from America has found that SUVs and vans are substantially more likely than cars to hit pedestrians when making turns.

“We already know that larger vehicles cause more severe injuries when they strike pedestrians,” said Jessica Cicchino, one of the authors of the research by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. “The link between these vehicle types and certain common pedestrian crashes points to another way that the increase in SUVs on the roads might be changing the crash picture.”

Fellow researcher, senior transportation engineer Wen Hu, added “It’s possible that the size, shape or location of the A-pillars that support the roof on either side of the windshield could make it harder for drivers of these larger vehicles to see crossing pedestrians when they are turning.”

Alongside a fashion for high waistlines (the line between the bottom of the windows and the bodywork), which has resulted in windows that are far narrower than before, car makers have sought to make vehicles safer for their occupants by strengthening and thereby increasing the size of pillars.

So large have windscreen pillars become that some now feature their very own tiny (and frankly useless) window of their own. At the back of the car, things are even worse. The large pillars and narrow rear window conspire to constrict visibility to such an extent that a rear view camera becomes a necessity.

The poor driver visibility, high vehicle weight and blunt shape of SUVs makes for a dangerous cocktail where other road users are concerned.

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