Are Big Pickups Increasing Pedestrian Accidents?
In recent years, the average size of a pickup truck has grown. Trucks now have a hood height that is roughly 11 percent larger than in the year 2000, and truck weight has increased 24 percent between 2000 and 2018. Larger truck sizes lead to larger blind spots. Some newer trucks have blind spots that are 11 feet longer than that of a sedan and seven feet longer than an SUV’s blind spot.
These large blind spots can make it difficult to spot pedestrians, especially small children, in front of the vehicle and can even impede the driver from seeing a sedan or other small car in front of them. To make matters worse, pickup trucks do not often have as many advanced safety monitoring features as a car or SUV.
During the past decade, pedestrian fatalities have increased drastically, and in one recent year, there were more than 6,500 pedestrians killed in accidents with motor vehicles nationwide, with an additional 54,700 pedestrians injured during the same year.
Injury and Death from Frontover Accidents
In a frontover accident, the truck hits a pedestrian in front of them and knocks them down, often running them over. Small children are especially vulnerable to this type of accident due to their small size and their lack of awareness of the dangers of wandering near vehicles. Frontover accidents are unfortunately common in a person’s own garage or driveway, where a child in their own family may be playing near the vehicle without the driver noticing. They also occur in parking lots, where children may dart out without paying attention to their surroundings.
Taller children and adults are still at risk for frontover accidents with trucks with especially large blind spots because if the trucks knock them down, they are on the ground, and the truck can easily run them over.
When a heavy truck runs someone over, that person can suffer severe injuries such as crushed bones, spinal cord injuries, and traumatic brain injuries. In many cases, these accidents are fatal.
Other Types of Accidents
It is not just frontover accidents that pedestrians should worry about. Big pickups on the roads are also a threat to pedestrians, especially while making turns. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that pickup trucks are four times as likely as sedans to hit a pedestrian during a left turn and 88 percent more likely during a right turn.
As pickup trucks increase in size, they take on some of the same risks as semi-trucks, box trucks, and other commercial vehicles, yet pickup truck drivers do not need any additional training beyond a standard drivers’ license to operate their trucks. Decades ago, pickup truck owners typically used these vehicles in a work or farm setting where there were few people present. Today, they are a common sight on city streets and in busy parking lots where there are more pedestrians.
Contact a New York Pedestrian Injury Attorney
If you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident with a pickup truck, you might be owed compensation for your injuries. Worrying about medical bills can add stress to your life during an already difficult time, but if someone else was at fault, you should not have to pay out of pocket.
The attorneys at The Mandel Law Firm have the experience necessary to negotiate with insurance companies to help you pursue the full amount of compensation you deserve for your injuries. When settlement negotiations are unsuccessful, we will support you every step of the way as we take your case to court to fight for compensation on your behalf.
The initial consultation is free, and you will not owe us anything until we successfully secure compensation for you. Contact us today online or by phone at (646) 770-3868 for a free consultation.
