Good morning. Recent developments have seen Keir Starmer, the British Prime Minister, resigning this morning. Additionally, the first round of talks between the United States and Iran in Switzerland has concluded, with negotiators noting progress.
Though these international headlines are significant, I want to focus on an issue much closer to home—specifically, my experience driving a pickup truck.
Tall and Dangerous
The hood of my full-size 2017 Toyota Tundra pickup truck measures about 50 inches off the ground. For comparison, the hood of my wife’s 2014 Ford C-Max is only 31 inches high. The disparity in hood heights contributes to a concerning trend highlighted by a recent investigation.
Trucks like mine, as identified by The Times investigation, present a greater danger than smaller cars. They are responsible for thousands of pedestrian fatalities that might have been avoided if a smaller vehicle had been involved.
The prevalence of such vehicles has risen significantly. In the early 2000s, most passenger vehicles on American roads were traditional cars like sedans and coupes. Ford once sold millions annually, yet today, they no longer manufacture sedans in the U.S. The landscape has shifted, dominated now by sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks with hoods taller than 50 inches, such as the Ford F-250 and Chevrolet Silverado 2500. Since 2002, their numbers have quintupled.
The primary risks associated with these trucks involve two factors: their hood height and the size of their blind spots.
A comprehensive investigation by The Times, led by Michael H. Keller, Eli Murray, Danielle Ivory, and Irineo Cabreros, involved collaborating with crash-reconstruction experts to simulate vehicle-pedestrian collisions at 20 miles per hour.
In one simulation, a standard sedan strikes a figure representing an average American male, 5-foot-9. The impact occurs below his center of gravity, throwing him onto the hood. This scenario, while dangerous, presents a potential for survival.
The second simulation involved a modern pickup truck with a hood height around four feet. The truck impacts the figure’s chest, pushing him to the ground and leading to him being run over. As noted by an expert involved in the crash tests, collisions at lower speeds still result in severe outcomes because the pedestrian is pushed forward rapidly. Once the driver realizes the impact, the pedestrian’s head may already be under the wheels.
Understanding these risks associated with larger vehicles highlights the pressing need for safety considerations on the road, not just for drivers, but for pedestrians as well.