Congressional watchdog launches probe into pedestrian and cyclist fatalities from cars
Comments Off on Congressional watchdog launches probe into pedestrian and cyclist fatalities from carsSource: Street Blog USA
Congress has initiated an investigation into whether America’s limited vehicle safety standards contribute to the rising deaths of vulnerable road users and what measures are needed to stop automakers from selling vehicles that numerous studies show disproportionately kill pedestrians, cyclists, and others outside vehicles.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO), Congress’s investigative arm, is leading this review at the request of Rep. Jamie Raskin (D–Md.). Raskin highlighted the alarming increase in pedestrian and cyclist deaths in the U.S., noting that the country is an “appalling exception” among developed nations with significantly fewer fatalities.
Experts argue that the growing size of American vehicles, particularly trucks and SUVs, contributes to this problem. Between 1993 and 2023, the average vehicle in the U.S. has gained 1,000 pounds, grown four inches wider, ten inches longer, and eight inches taller. This size increase, driven by the popularity of larger vehicles, raises the hoods of many models, such as the Ford F-series pick-ups, to chest level for many adults. This design change increases the likelihood of fatal injuries to vital organs rather than less severe leg injuries. Additionally, the larger blind zones of these vehicles prevent drivers from seeing pedestrians, including children, directly in front of them, and make it more likely for pedestrians to be pulled under the vehicle rather than pushed onto the hood, increasing the risk of death.
One study indicates that 18% of pedestrian deaths could be prevented by capping the hood height of trucks and SUVs to that of a modest crossover. “All the research shows that the design of cars and trucks—including their height, the geometry of the vehicle, and their weight—affects the safety of vulnerable road users,” Raskin told Streetsblog. He emphasized that as vehicles have become larger, blind zones have also increased, leading to more pedestrian fatalities. Raskin called for the best research to address these design issues.
Raskin’s advocacy is partly inspired by personal tragedy, having lost his cousin in a Florida crash and his constituent, Sarah Debbink Langenkamp, a diplomat killed while cycling in Bethesda in 2022. In response, Raskin and other lawmakers pushed for legislation in her name, including a bill to help states secure federal funds for protected bike lane networks and a Maryland bill to increase penalties for drivers who hit cyclists in bike lanes or shoulders.
Despite advocacy efforts, vehicle safety regulations remain inadequate. The truck that struck Langenkamp had large blind spots and lacked pedestrian and cyclist-specific “side-underride” guards that could have prevented her from being swept under the wheels. A ProPublica and PBS Frontline documentary revealed that regulators were close to mandating such equipment but retreated after industry lobbying.
For passenger vehicles, the situation is similarly troubling. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law mandated that regulators provide information on safety technologies for pedestrians and cyclists, but they focused only on advanced pedestrian automatic emergency braking technology. Studies show these technologies often fail at high speeds and in dark conditions where most pedestrian deaths occur.
The GAO investigation aims to examine various vehicle design features that could reduce traffic fatalities, such as height, geometry, driver visibility, and direct vision. Raskin has also requested an evaluation of successful safety measures in other countries and the potential challenges of implementing them in the U.S.
While the GAO cannot enforce changes, Raskin hopes that compiling and presenting extensive research on vehicle safety risks will spark meaningful discussions and lead to substantial improvements. “We need to promote the idea that no one should die on our roads,” he asserted. “That should not be an acceptable cost of doing business.“
