The American Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, widely known as IIHS, has published new findings that reinforce a long-standing conclusion: large sport utility vehicles and heavy crossovers tend to pose greater dangers to pedestrians than smaller cars. The study zeroes in on the most common pedestrian crashes that occur near or at intersections, underscoring how vehicle dimensions and mass influence the severity of harm. The data span from 2014 through 2018, a period during which more than 900 of the roughly 5,800 pedestrian fatalities happened in or around intersections, highlighting a persistent vulnerability in urban travel and indicating a clear need to rethink how intersection design and vehicle policy intersect.
The results illuminate a stark contrast in outcomes depending on the turn maneuver. Specifically, a pedestrian hit during a left-turn scenario at an intersection is roughly twice as likely to be killed when compared to outcomes involving city hatchbacks, sedans, or station wagons. The risk climbs steeply when the vehicle is a van or minivan, approaching three times higher, and peaks near four times higher with pickup trucks. When a right turn is involved, the fatality probability for pickups can exceed 89 percent, while SUVs show a substantial but smaller increase, around 63 percent. These figures emphasize how the mechanics of turning interact with vehicle size to amplify danger for pedestrians at busy junctions, where turning movements concentrate conflict points and reduce reaction windows for drivers and pedestrians alike.
Wen Hu, described as a senior transport engineer at IIHS, notes that the physical design of larger vehicles—its overall size, silhouette, and the way A-pillars align with the driver’s line of sight—can severely limit a driver’s ability to notice pedestrians who are crossing or stepping into the path of a turning vehicle. This visibility obstacle around corners becomes more acute with larger vehicles, potentially delaying braking, evasive steering, or early deceleration that could prevent a pedestrian injury or fatality. The study’s authors stress that further research is needed to unpack the forces behind these statistics and to identify practical interventions. The institute recommends revisiting road-safety standards and vehicle design guidelines with the aim of improving pedestrian visibility and protection without compromising performance. The practical takeaway is a call for ongoing collaboration among designers, policymakers, and manufacturers to craft solutions that make intersections safer for everyone, especially the most vulnerable users such as pedestrians and cyclists, by combining design changes, smarter city planning, and targeted vehicle safety improvements.