SUV Boom May Be Tied to Jump in Pedestrian Deaths

It's getting more dangerous to walk outside, pedestrian deaths are up sharply around the country, and some think the increasing popularity of SUVs may be partly to blame. Sales of SUVs are up in the United States (not surprising in times of relatively inexpensive gas), and deaths of pedestrians struck by SUVs are up, too. "A study released earlier this week from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found a staggering 81 percent increase in pedestrian deaths involving SUVs from 2009 to 2016," Erin Marquis reports for Jalopnik.

The high block design of fronts of SUVs make them more dangerous for pedestrians, who are more likely to be pushed under the wheels than up onto the hood of the car.

Pedestrian advocates have called for regulatory action, but that seems unlikely in the current political climate.