Truck Bloat Regulations: US Steps Up to Protect Pedestrians

Truck Bloat Regulations: US Steps Up to Protect Pedestrians

This week, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) stunned safety advocates by proposing new vehicle rules that aim to reduce pedestrian deaths in America. The new rules appear to target the trend of increasingly massive SUVs and trucks, which have been shown to be more deadly to pedestrians than smaller and midsize vehicles.

Never in its 50-plus years has the regulator issued new rules requiring automakers to alter their vehicle designs to better prevent pedestrian fatalities. If enacted, these rules could permanently change how vehicles are designed across the US.

“It’s good to see NHTSA acknowledge that a myopic focus on pedestrian detection is no substitute for actually regulating car bloat,” said David Zipper, a senior fellow at the MIT Mobility Initiative and contributor.

New Regulations to Save Lives

In recent years, NHTSA has introduced several requirements to combat pedestrian deaths, including the mandate for automatic emergency braking in all new vehicles. However, this is the first time it has taken aim at vehicle design.

• The proposed rules would update the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS).
• New testing procedures will simulate head-to-hood impact to reduce head injuries.
• Automakers will have to test vehicles with crash test dummies representing both adult and child pedestrians.

NHTSA estimates these changes could save up to 67 lives annually. “The US has never used pedestrian crash test dummies officially,” said Angie Schmitt, author of Right of Way: Race, Class, and the Silent Epidemic of Pedestrian Deaths in America.

A Deadly Trend for Pedestrians

The proposed rules come amid a deadly period for pedestrians, as each year, cars kill approximately 40,000 Americans. While automakers focus on protecting those inside vehicles, the safety of individuals outside remains largely neglected.