670d.png)
1784.png)
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.
An investigation by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) will look into how vehicle safety standards are impacting the rise in the deaths of pedestrians and other people outside of vehicles.
As Kea Wilson explains in Streetsblog USA, “Between 1993 and 2023, the average vehicle on U.S. roads swelled by 1,000 pounds, while simultaneously getting four inches wider, 10 inches longer and eight inches taller — bloat that's driven by the increasing sales of pick-up trucks and SUVs.”
Road safety advocates say this contributes to higher death rates. “One study estimated that 18 percent of pedestrian deaths could be avoided just by capping the hood height of passenger trucks and SUVs at the level of a modest crossover,” Wilson adds.
For example, flatbed trailers like the one that killed diplomat Sarah Debbink Langenkamp in 2022, have major blind spots that are not addressed by current regulations — “and it also wasn’t outfitted with pedestrian and cyclist-specific “side-underride” guards that could have prevented her from being swept under its wheels.”
The investigation will assess the design features that impact safety including “height, geometry, driver visibility, and direct vision.”
FULL STORY: Congressional Watchdog Launches Probe Into Why Massive Cars Kill So Many Pedestrians and Cyclists
Study Zeroes in on Dangers of Taller Vehicles
Taller hoods are a major contributor to crashes that kill pedestrians.
Bigger Vehicles, Blindspots Contributing to More Pedestrian Deaths
A new study links bigger vehicles to a sharp increase in pedestrian deaths over the last decade.
Carzilla: How Huge SUVs and Trucks Hurt Pedestrians and Walkable Communities
Ever wonder where the supersizing of cars is going to end? Kaid Benfield dives deep into the subject and suggests five actions we can take to get to a safer spot in the road.
New Florida Law Curbs HOA Power
The legislation seeks to cut down on ‘absurd’ citations for low-level violations.
New Tennessee Law Allows No-Cost Incentives for Affordable Housing
Local governments in the Volunteer State can now offer developers incentives like increased density, lower parking requirements, and priority permitting for affordable housing projects.
Planners’ Complicity in Excessive Traffic Deaths
Professor Wes Marshall’s provocatively-titled new book, "Killed by a Traffic Engineer," has stimulated fierce debates. Are his criticisms justified? Let’s examine the degree that traffic engineers contribute to avoidable traffic deaths.
Study: Housing Crisis is About Affordability, not Supply
New research shows that there is no overall shortage of housing units, but all U.S. metropolitan areas face a severe lack of affordable units for low-income renters.
Are Race-Based Lawsuits Affecting Community Lenders?
Shelterforce spoke with community lending leaders and experts about the current mood across the sector. What, if anything, are organizations doing to avoid becoming the next target of conservative activists?
New Park Promotes Community and Connectivity in Lewisville, Texas
The city of Lewisville just celebrated the opening of Glory Park/Parque la Gloria, helping to improve park access and the quality of life for residents.
City of Madera
City of Santa Clarita
Borough of Carlisle
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Colorado Energy Office
Pima County Community College District
City of Piedmont, CA
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.
