Dear Reader,
The automotive industry is finally going all-in on electric vehicles. In the distant future, road transportation will no longer be contributing to the global warming crisis. This is good news for our planet, but it may be bad news for pedestrians. In the United States, pedestrian fatalities are on the rise, up 12 % between 2020 and 2021, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association. A likely cause is the rise in sales of SUVs and trucks. Taller and heavier than sedans, these large vehicles not only strike a pedestrian with more force, but they are more likely to cause serious injury to the head and torso.
Due to their massive batteries, electric vehicles are also considerably heavier than gas vehicles and therefore considerably more dangerous to pedestrians. For example, the Hyundai Kona electric subcompact SUV weighs circa 1685 kg, around 370 kg more than the gas-powered Kona. The Ford F-150 Lightning's curb weight is circa 2948 kg, compared with the conventional F-150's curb weight, which ranges from around 1824 to 2274 kg.
A further danger to pedestrians: Makers of these heavy EVs seem to be in competition for the fastest acceleration time off the block. In Car and Driver tests, a 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning went 0-to-60 mph in 4 s but was beaten by a 2022 Rivian R1T Launch Edition, which reached 60 mph in 3.3 s.
Pedestrian deaths in the U.S. are likely to continue climbing into the era of EVs at least until NHTSA is able to implement updates to its NCAP safety ratings that protect pedestrians. Potential updates include the testing and recommendation of four driver-assist technologies, among them automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection. However, there is no mention of the sort of passive safety measures that aim to mitigate the risk of head injury by encouraging deformation of the vehicle hood. Such measures have been applied in Japan and the European Union since 2005.
Sincerely Yours,
Paul Hansen
Editor