Vehicle design has a direct influence on overall traffic safety. For example, before safety restraints were mandatory in all standard passenger vehicles, ejections from vehicles during collisions were a common issue. While they still occur, they are less frequent now that vehicle manufacturers must install restraints for all seats.
Changes in design reflect both changing knowledge about collision safety and consumer preferences. Not all design changes are beneficial from a safety perspective. Three recent vehicle trends can prove risky for pedestrians in particular.
1. Larger vehicles
The era of the sedan appears to be over. SUVs, pickup trucks, vans and crossover vehicles now dominate the domestic vehicle market. Larger vehicles have more momentum than smaller vehicles traveling at the same speed. They also give drivers a false sense of security that can lead to unsafe conduct in traffic.
2. Vertical front ends
Smaller vehicles tend to have tapered, diagonal front ends. Bigger vehicles tend to have relatively vertical front ends.
A vertical front end increases the likelihood of a person getting knocked down abruptly and striking their head or getting thrown into traffic instead of falling onto the vehicle. Therefore, this design feature has an association with increased pedestrian mortality.
3. Smaller windshields
Bigger vehicles require larger windshields. Unfortunately, those windshields can be a safety hazard when a crash occurs. Moves by manufacturers to make windshields slightly smaller for occupant safety increase the blind spots in the front of the vehicle and therefore the risk to pedestrians.
Drivers who do not account for design issues could cause preventable pedestrian crashes. Holding drivers accountable may require insurance claims or even personal injury lawsuits after a vehicle strikes and injures a pedestrian.