Proposed Rule Aimed to Cut Pedestrian Deaths

A federal traffic safety group has proposed a rule that new vehicles be designed to curb serious pedestrian injuries and deaths, which it said have jumped dramatically in recent years.

The regulation, proposed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a division of the U.S. transportation department, would seek to better protect pedestrians’ heads in vehicle collisions.

The agency said it aligns with the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to “harmonize U.S. vehicle regulations globally to promote vehicle safety,” with the aim of cutting pedestrian injuries and fatalities. It estimates the rule could save nearly 70 lives each year.

Pedestrian traffic deaths rose 57% from 2013 to 2022 to 7,522, and 88% of them in 2022 happened in single-vehicle collisions, according to the NHTSA.

The rule, if enacted, would affect passenger vehicles 10,000 pounds or lighter and include SUVs, crossovers and vans.

When pedestrians are hit and killed by the front of a vehicle, it’s most commonly a multipurpose passenger vehicle, according to the agency, which said that was the case in 49% of such collisions in 2022, followed by passenger cars at 37%.

The rule would come with new testing of “head-to-hood” collisions and require automakers to incorporate design to minimize head injuries.

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