New York Wants Safety Ratings on SUVs and Trucks to Reduce Pedestrian Deaths
Tina Joesph
· 4 min read
Pedestrian deaths have increased last year despite the fact that there were fewer drivers on the road, who drove shorter distances due to pandemic restrictions. Not only should you stay aware on the road to keep your
car insurance
rates low, you should pay attention to prevent potentially fatal crashes. The growing popularity of larger vehicles is correlated with the increase. According to
Car and Driver
, a New York
senator proposed a new safety rating system for trucks and SUVs to help reduce the likelihood of fatal crashes.
How are trucks and SUVs related to pedestrian deaths?
The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) found that, despite people driving less during the pandemic, the number of pedestrians killed in a crash went up almost 5%. There are a number of reasons for the increase, including more instances of reckless driving and infrastructure problems.
The rising number of SUVs and trucks on the roads is also related to the increase of pedestrian deaths. According to a study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reported by Car and Driver, three out of 10 crashes with SUVS resulted in a death.
Collisions
with other types of cars resulted in deaths five out of 22 times. This is a significant increase for SUVs. IIHS said that SUVs and other large vehicles like trucks are getting safer, but current efforts have not really helped pedestrians.
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How is NYC trying to improve pedestrian safety?
MORE: Colorado Senate Votes to Ban This Controversial Car Insurance Practice
The
New York State Senate
introduced Senate Bill S4307 for creating a pedestrian-safety rating system that scores vehicles on a scale of 1 to 5. This number would indicate how safe it is for pedestrians and cyclists in the event of a collision. The system would be implemented by the New York Department of Motor Vehicles. Every vehicle being sold in New York will need to have their ratings displayed. The rating system will be based on whether a vehicle has safety features that are helpful for pedestrian and bicyclist safety. It will also consider the rate of reported collisions and injuries that the car is involved in.
The author of the bill, Senator Andrew Gounardes, hopes this will help buyers choose safer cars, and encourage automakers to add features focused on pedestrian safety.
What can you do to prevent pedestrian deaths?
The bill, if it becomes law, will not immediately help with pedestrian safety. It will take time for the rating system to be implemented and adopted widely. As a driver, you’re still responsible for
staying focused
on the road. This way you can respond quickly to any potential hazards, and prevent accidents.There is technology that helps with pedestrian safety, such as automated emergency braking which can slow a vehicle if it detects someone in front of it. Lane-keeping-assist technology can tell a driver that a person is coming too close. But, a lot of this technology is better for detecting other cars instead of humans.
If you want to buy an SUV with features that help keep pedestrians safe, you can go to the
IIHS
website. Good test results for "front crash protection: vehicle to pedestrian" means the SUV has safety systems in place that can slow down your car substantially. This can help reduce the chance of fatal collisions.If you buy a car with good safety ratings, it’ll keep everyone safer on the road, and you might get a
car insurance discount
. To save even more money on car insurance, you can use Jerry
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