You’ll probably have noticed how many SUVs are on the roads these days. Maybe you like them or maybe you don’t, but one thing that is crucial to understand is that they are making the roads more dangerous.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), SUVs have played a significant role in the 79% rise in pedestrian deaths since 2009. The auto companies that make them tell people these bigger vehicles will help keep them and their family safe, but they avoid mentioning that they are a bigger threat than the average car to anyone outside of them.
High front ends are a fatal flaw
Later model SUVs have very tall front ends. This makes it harder for their drivers to see what is immediately in front of them — such as a child crossing the road. These tall front ends also mean a higher point of contact on the body of anyone who is hit. That means there is a greater chance of damage to the person’s vital organs, as well as less chance that they fall onto the hood and roll off the other side to relative safety.
Size and weight
A heavier vehicle will hit something with more force than a lighter vehicle, and modern SUVs weigh far more than the average passenger vehicle. SUVS also often have thicker roof pillars, which can obscure more of the driver’s 360-degree view.
To sum up, SUVs increase the chances of hitting someone as well as the injuries suffered if they do. Understanding how to seek compensation becomes even more important If you are a loved one is hit by a driver in an SUV.