Congress Introduces Bill to Limit Size of SUVs and Trucks

The size of cars and trucks in the United States has ballooned over the past decade, and so have roadway fatalities, particularly pedestrian and cyclist deaths. Studies show there is a direct correlation. Lawmakers in Congress say enough is enough, reports NPR correspondent Joel Rose. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlong (D-Pa.) and co-sponsors introduced a bill last Friday called the Pedestrian Safety Act that “would require federal standards for hood heights and visibility to protect pedestrians and other vulnerable road users,” according to the NPR article.

The average U.S. passenger vehicle has gotten about 10 inches longer, 8 inches taller, and 1,000 pounds heavier, according to IIHS, and SUVs and pickups make up more than three-quarters of the vehicles on the road, up from 38 percent in 2009. And while studies show that larger vehicles tend to be safe with occupants, they are far deadlier for people outside the car. The NPR article cites an IIHS study that showed vehicles with higher front ends and blunt profiles are 45 percent more likely to cause fatalities in crashes with pedestrians than smaller cars and trucks.

“Safety advocates say that’s a big reason why annual pedestrian deaths in the U.S. are up more than 75% since reaching their lowest point in 2009,” Rose writes.

The bill would require the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to set the standards, which would then apply to all new cars. According to the NPR article, it’s not the first time Congress has asked NHTSA to consider the safety of people outside of cars: “The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law directed the agency to expand its New Car Assessment Program to include pedestrians.” But safety advocates the resulting proposal for pedestrian crashworthiness testing had no teeth in that the program would be voluntary (meaning carmakers could opt out) and the pass-fail ratings would only be available through NHTSA’s website rather than on the five-star safety rating system that’s displayed on dealership car windows, where it has the most chance to inform consumers’ decisions.

Apart from pedestrian safety concerns, larger vehicles have additional implications for local, state, and federal governments. Bigger SUVs and trucks cause more wear and tear on roads, require more space to park, produce higher amounts of carbon emissions, and — as illustrated by this satirical cartoon — perpetuate America’s “car-is-king” approach to transportation.