Finally, the Biden administration is taking a stand against car bloat. In Fast Company, I wrote about NHTSA’s proposal to ban hood designs that are esp likely to cause pedestrian head injuries. 🔽 Key takeaways 🔽
🔹 The US faces a pedestrian safety crisis 🔹
Deaths among those walking (and cycling) recently hit a 40-year high. No other rich country is seeing a trend anything like this.
🔹 Car bloat – the ongoing expansion of automobiles – is a major factor 🔹
Researchers have consistently shown that tall, heavy cars are more likely to kill pedestrians. They convey more force in a crash, require more time to halt, have larger blind spots, and tend to strike pedestrians’ heads and torsos (not their legs).
🔹 NHTSA has historically focused on protecting car *occupants*, leading to an arms race of vehicle size 🔹
Other rich countries added regulations years ago to protect people walking and biking, but NHTSA has (until now) pretty much ignored them.
🔹 NHTSA’s new proposal could be a watershed moment 🔹
The proposal would make it illegal to sell new cars that pose excessive danger of pedestrian head injuries (as determined through simulated collision tests). Tall SUVs and pickups with flat front ends and hard body surfaces could be particularly affected. If adopted, it would be the first Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard restricting vehicle size to protect pedestrians.
🔹 If you have views about car bloat, tell NHTSA 🔹
NHTSA will finalize the proposed rule (or shelve it) in the coming months. The 60-day public comment period is open now. You can share your thoughts here: https://lnkd.in/eKQPbSYn
Story: https://lnkd.in/eQ2769_z
