Hybrid Vehicles Continue To Pose Disproportionate Threat To Pedestrians & Cyclists

While there remains a greater likelihood of a Prius or other hybrid-electric vehicle being involved in a crash with a pedestrian or cyclist over a conventionally-powered vehicle, the incidence has decreased since 2009.

2 minute read

November 22, 2011, 5:00 AM PST

By Irvin Dawid


The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) report was distributed by the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies. It was prepared to update the 2009 study. As with that study, "sound and frequency" may continue to be a major contributing factor. Incidence rates differ for pedestrian and cyclist crashes.

"In 2009 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released the report "Incidence of Pedestrian and Bicyclist Crashes by Hybrid Electric (HE) Passenger Vehicles" with the finding that an HE vehicle was two times more likely to be involved in a pedestrian crash than an Internal Combustion Vehicle (ICE) in situations involving low-speed maneuvers (Hanna, 2009)."

NHTSA released the new study on Oct. 1 to update these findings. The report (PDF) indicates that "(o)verall, the odds ratios indicate that the odds of an HE vehicle being in either a pedestrian or bicycle crash are greater, 35 percent and 57 percent respectively, than the odds of an ICE vehicle being in a similar crash."

From Conclusions And Discussions:

"The largest difference between the incidence rates of HE versus ICE vehicles in this study occurred in low-speed passenger vehicle maneuvers: those in which a vehicle is turning, slowing or stopping, backing up, or entering or leaving a parking space.

Similar to the results presented in NHTSA's previous study (Hanna, 2009), the odds of an HE vehicle being involved in a pedestrian crash was 1.66 times the odds of an ICE vehicle being involved in a similar crash. It is hypothesized that these low-speed vehicle maneuvers may provide the largest difference between the vehicle sounds, in terms of both sound level and

frequency, produced by the HE versus ICE vehicles, and this sound difference may further contribute to the crash rate difference between HE and ICE vehicles.

This similar finding also held in bicycle crashes but with a lower odds ratio of 1.33"

Thanks to TRB E-Newsletter

Saturday, October 1, 2011 in National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

Adult holding hands of two children, all wearing winter coats, in crosswalk in New York City during holidays with trees decorated with lights in background.

Pedestrian Deaths Drop, Remain Twice as High as in 2009

Fatalities declined by 4 percent in 2024, but the U.S. is still nowhere close to ‘Vision Zero.’

30 minutes ago - Streetsblog USA

View of dense apartment buildings on Seattle waterfront with high-rise buildings in background.

King County Supportive Housing Program Offers Hope for Unhoused Residents

The county is taking a ‘Housing First’ approach that prioritizes getting people into housing, then offering wraparound supportive services.

July 11 - Real Change

Aerial view of suburban housing near Las Vegas, Nevada.

Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing

Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.

July 11 - Shelterforce Magazine