SUVs trigger extra extreme harm to bicyclists than vehicles, a brand new examine by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reveals.
The tall entrance finish of SUVs can strike bicyclists increased on their our bodies above the middle of gravity. This leads to riders getting knocked down, the place they are often run over, quite than being thrown onto the hood of the automobile, mentioned IIHS statistician Sam Monfort, the lead creator of the examine.
The examine analyzed knowledge from 71 Michigan bicycle crashes that concerned a single SUV or automotive and a bicyclist age 16 or older. The severity of accidents inflicted by vehicles and SUVs was in contrast utilizing the Abbreviated Injury Scale — which assesses accidents by physique area — and the Injury Severity Score, which mixes accidents from completely different areas into an general evaluation.
Ground-impact accidents had been twice as widespread on SUV crashes, the examine confirmed. Trauma to the physique was 55 % increased for SUVs than for vehicles. Scores for head accidents inflicted by SUVs had been 63 % increased.
Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety used the examine’s findings to induce U.S. political leaders to “stop preventable crashes from occuring in the first place.”
Pointing to “unacceptable” crash knowledge from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Kids and Car Safety, automotive security advocate Cathy Chase mentioned security applied sciences can stop such forward-moving crashes.
“The U.S. Department of Transportation must fulfill the vehicle safety rulemakings mandated in the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act with great expediency and urgency,” Chase mentioned in an announcement. “This includes issuing minimum performance standards for advanced driver assistance systems including AEB and other crash avoidance technologies.”
Chase is president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.
Advanced driver-assist methods must be customary on all new autos to make sure security of “all road users,” Chase mentioned. Safety upgrades like ADAS are sometimes a part of a luxurious bundle or part of high-trim fashions that many can not afford, she mentioned.
Fatal bicycle crash charges have been on the rise within the final decade. In 2021, 966 cyclists had been reported killed in crashes, in response to NHTSA. This is up from 621 bicyclist fatalities in 2010, IIHS mentioned.
“With bicyclists out enjoying warmer weather conditions, taking a bike ride must not turn into a death sentence,” Chase mentioned. “Our federal leaders must take immediate action to advance known and available solutions to make our roadways safe for those on a bike as well as all road users.”
Editor’s observe: Some autos generally known as SUVs are categorized as crossovers by Automotive News.
Source: www.autonews.com