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SUVs and the rising number of pedestrian deaths

Because they don’t have the sloping profile of most cars, SUVs can do serious harm to a pedestrian’s body in a collision. Besides that, SUVs are much heavier than the average car. What Washington residents should know is that SUVs may be contributing to the overall rise in pedestrian fatalities that the U.S. has been seeing.

Some official statistics

From 2009 to 2018, the number of pedestrian deaths increased 53%. This is in spite of the fact that the number of motor vehicle crash fatalities has been declining overall for nearly four decades. Pedestrians make up nearly one in five traffic fatalities.

Back in 2018, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that between 2009 and 2016, there was an 81% jump in incidents where SUVs fatally struck a pedestrian. It appears that SUVs are more prominently factoring in pedestrian deaths as they composed 29% of the passenger vehicles in this country in 2018, compared to 21% in 2009.

What another IIHS study says

The IIHS conducted another study in 2020 showing how SUVs can be especially deadly at higher speeds. After analyzing 79 SUV-pedestrian crashes, researchers found that all those involving speeds of 40 mph or higher were fatal. Below 20 mph, there was no discernible difference in injury levels when pedestrians were hit by an SUV or a car.

Victims may consider legal representation

Pedestrian crashes are often the fault of the drivers. If this was the case with you and you suffered serious injuries, you may want to file a personal injury claim to ensure that all your losses are covered. They might include medical bills, the cost of rehabilitative care and the income you lost. It may take a lawyer to build up a strong case and negotiate with the insurance companies involved.

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