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This is apparent when compared to European collision data, according to the report, where tall passenger cars are less common. Even at lower speeds, U.S. pedestrians still suffer from greater injury risk.
The data suggests that the 25 mph speed limit, often used in residential U.S. neighborhoods and communities, is too high for areas with pedestrian traffic. Crash speeds are typically considered "safe" when the risk of serious injury is at 10% or less, which according to the study, occurs at 15 mph speed limits.
"A small increase in crash speed can really ramp up the danger to a pedestrian,"
The IIHS analyzed 202 pedestrian crashes, examining measurements from vehicles involved, to create an estimate for the link between injury outcomes and impact speed. The crash data comes from two databases– one which occurred between 2015 and 2022 in Michigan, and the other from 2022 in California, New Jersey and Texas.
According to the IIHS researchers, the analysis focuses on hood leading edge height because it is linked closely with the point of impact on a pedestrian's body. The higher the front-end height, the more likely the injury sustained will be higher on the body, which increases the risk for severe injury.
SUV purchases in the U.S. are steadily rising–-IIHS data reveals that SUVs increased from 30% to 57% of the registered passenger-vehicle fleet between 2012 and 2023. Non-SUV passenger-vehicles are larger now, as well, with the average car weighing 4% heavier and the average pickup truck weighing 13% heavier throughout the past decade.
"Although SUVs are a growing share of the market in Europe, the passenger vehicle fleet there has long been dominated by cars. In contrast, the majority of passenger vehicles on U.S. roads today are SUVs or pickups," said Sam Monfort, IIHS senior statistician and lead author of the study. "These choices have very real consequences for pedestrian safety."
