On the heels of research showing that SUV design is leading to more pedestrian deaths, another IIHS study shows a higher rate of serious injuries for cyclists hit by taller vehicles.
A new study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) reveals that taller SUVs are causing more severe injuries when they hit people on bikes. “The findings follow earlier IIHS research that showed SUVs are more lethal than cars to pedestrians despite design changes that have made them less dangerous to other vehicles.”
According to IIHS Statistician Sam Monfort, “SUVs tend to knock riders down, where they can also be run over, rather than vaulting them onto the hood of the vehicle.” Between 2010 and 2020, the number of bicyclists killed on U.S. roads went up from 621 to 932. “One reason may be the dominance of pickups and SUVs in the U.S. vehicle fleet.” According to an assessment made using the Abbreviated Injury Scale, “the average scores for head injuries inflicted by SUVs were 63 percent higher than for those caused by cars.”
The results of the study “suggest that SUVs forcefully knock bicyclists to the ground, where they can be run over by the vehicle as the driver attempts to stop. Even when the bicyclist is not run over, SUV crashes are much more likely than car crashes to result in injuries caused by the bicyclist hitting the ground.”
Read the full story: Higher point of impact makes SUV crashes more dangerous for cyclists
Heavier Vehicles Don’t Keep Passengers Safer
A new study shows that modern safety features are more important than size and weight once vehicles weigh over 4,000 pounds.
Tall Vehicles: Unsafe at Any Speed
Vehicles with taller front-end designs are more likely to injure pedestrians even when traveling at lower speeds.
GAO to Investigate How Vehicle Design Impacts Safety
A lax set of rules around vehicle size, height, and other factors is partly responsible for the alarming rise in pedestrian deaths in the United States.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Chicago breaks ground on $3 billion megadevelopment
The new neighborhood, titled Foundry Park, will one day host 3,700 residences.
Satanic Place Names
From streams and lakes to valleys and canyons, I mapped more than 1,000 places named after the Devil.
California High-Speed Rail Authority CEO resigns after $600,000 scandal
Under Ian Choudri, the authority used taxpayer dollars to fund first class flights and trips to nightclubs.
Want to study the Missouri River? Soon, you may need unanimous approval from 10 states
Legislation would require 10 governors’ permission to study or build projects moving water outside the basin.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority