National Crash Testing Standards Could Start Including Pedestrian Safety

The NHTSA is proposing new guidance that would, after years of demands from safety advocates, include pedestrian safety assessments in crash test requirements.

1 minute read

May 24, 2023, 10:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Child-sized pedestrian crash test dummy in front of car being tested

shootingtheworld / Pedestrian crash test dummy

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is proposing an update to crash testing standards that would finally take pedestrian safety into account, reports Colin Woodard in Jalopnik. This would be a major step forward for an agency that, until now, only conducted tests to assess the safety of people inside vehicles.

Woodard writes that “In addition to testing how well vehicles protect pedestrians, the NHTSA’s proposal also includes a plan to set safety standards for automatic emergency braking, which includes pedestrian detection.”

For Woodard and many traffic safety advocates who have expressed concern about increasingly large trucks and SUVs that put pedestrians at higher risk, the actions are long overdue. “Hopefully, adding pedestrian safety tests will not only lead to safer cars but also add a stigma to driving oversized behemoths that are hard to see out of and are a danger to everyone.”

Woodard encourages readers to submit their comments to the NHTSA, which is receiving public comment on the issue for the next two months.

Tuesday, May 23, 2023 in Jalopnik

courses user

As someone new to the planning field, Planetizen has been the perfect host guiding me into planning and our complex modern challenges. Corey D, Transportation Planner

As someone new to the planning field, Planetizen has been the perfect host guiding me into planning and our complex modern challenges.

Corey D, Transportation Planner

Ready to give your planning career a boost?

MARTA train tracks run in the middle of a six lane highway with an overpass and the Buckhead city skyline of skyscrapers in the background.

How Would Project 2025 Affect America’s Transportation System?

Long story short, it would — and not in a good way.

September 29, 2024 - Marcelo Remond

People in large plaza in front of Zurich Opera House in Switzerland.

But... Europe

European cities and nations tend to have less violent crime than the United States. Is government social welfare spending the magic bullet that explains this difference?

September 26, 2024 - Michael Lewyn

Aerial view of Rancho Mirage, California with homes in foreground and snowy San Gabriel Mountains in background.

First Model Homes Revealed in Disney-Built Community

Disney’s Cotino, in the Southern California desert, is the first of the company’s ‘Storybook Living’ developments.

October 2, 2024 - Newsweek

White self-driving car at stop sign coming down hill with Coit Tower in background in San Francisco, California.

California Governor Vetoes Autonomous Truck Ban, Approves New Guidelines for AVs

A new law will allow police to issue citations to self-driving car operators and create stricter guidelines for crashes and interactions with first responders.

17 seconds ago - The Verge

Red car turning right on red light.

Banning Right Turns on Red Just One Step Toward Vision Zero

Experts caution that blanket bans on right turns on red make only a slight contribution to reducing fatal crashes, and other interventions are needed to bring down traffic fatalities.

2 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive

Brick New York City apartment buildings with fire escapes.

Hundreds of Thousands of Housing Units Could Lose Affordability

As the 30-year term of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit expires for many affordable housing units, the families living there face steep rent hikes and evictions.

3 hours ago - Associated Press

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research

Regional Rail at Mpact Transit + Community 2024

Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)

Cornell's Department of City and Regional Planning Announces Undergraduate and Graduate Program Information Sessions and Application Details

Cornell University's College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP), the Department of City and Regional Planning (CRP)