GHSA previously issued a report finding that 3,434 pedestrians were killed on U.S. roadways in the first half of 2022, based on preliminary data reported by State Highway Safety Offices. A second report analyzing state-reported data for all of 2022 found that roadways continue to be incredibly deadly for pedestrians. There were 2.37 pedestrian deaths per billion vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in 2022, up yet again and continuing a troubling trend of elevated rates that began in 2020.
The report also includes an analysis of 2021 data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System to provide additional context on when, where and how drivers strike and kill people on foot. This analysis uncovered a shocking safety disparity for people walking: Pedestrian deaths rose a troubling 77% between 2010 and 2021, compared to a 25% rise in all other traffic fatalities. The data analysis was conducted by Elizabeth Petraglia, Ph.D., of research firm Westat.
To combat this pedestrian safety crisis, GHSA supports a comprehensive solution based on the Safe System approach outlined in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Roadway Safety Strategy (NRSS). Each of the five elements of this approach – safe road users, safe vehicles, safe speeds, safe roads and post-crash care – contribute in different but overlapping ways to provide a multi-layered safety net that can protect people on foot as well as other road users. The report includes examples of how states are utilizing Safe System principles to improve pedestrian safety.
One of the reasons is probably the same why Tesla isn’t releasing their Cybertruck outside of the us - the Crash-Tests there just don’t factor in pedestrian survival rates if they are hit by the car that you want to release on the market. Most of those giant trucks don’t make it here because they’d just run over any pedestrian they hit without them having any chance of survival even at low speeds.
Add to that the totally car-centered infrastructure that basically punishes everyone not in a car and you have the perfect storm for dead pedestrians and bikers…
Something I’ve thought about recently that I don’t think gets mentioned enough is the raising of speed limits across the board. You have a car centric infrastructure operating along neglected (and sometimes non-existent) pedestrian paths and the speed limits keep going higher.
Long way of saying “Nobody outside the US has the right combination of gullibility and unfathomably poor taste to buy such a ghastly monstrosity” 😂
Oh I’m sure there are. I see more and more idiots with big American trucks here in the Netherlands. They completely don’t fit in our cities designed for normal sized cars. I also don’t see how they’re considered safe. The top of their hood is so high that you’ll mostly get hit by the grill on the front upon impact.
I also doubt most of those people really need one, they seem more like the type of people that compensate away their insecurities by having a big truck. I can sort of see a farmer or something using one, but in a city I don’t understand it. I guess they’re not banned because that’d upset the US or something.
That plus gas is more expensive in other countries, it’s hard to justify buying something that’s going to get 20 MPG at best.
A properly modified Jeep Patriot (2010-2014 models, I dunno about the others) can easily get 35mpg city/ 50mpg highway. You do have to keep the car clean, and make sure the tach stays between 1000-2000 at all times, but with the CVT the second part is easy.
You have to replace the air, and fuel filters with good filters, I used K&N. You also have to replace the spark plugs and plug wires with some “mid grade” plugs and wires. I also gave the thing a K&N oil filter, but I don’t think that’s necessary.
No doubt but I see mostly F150s and similar around here.
For the F150:
“The standard 3.3-liter V6 engine gets up to 20mpg city and 24 highway MPG, and the optional, more powerful 5.0L V8 engine gets up to 17 MPG in the city and 24 highway miles per gallon.”
https://www.maxwellford.com/2021-ford-f-150-fuel-economy/#:~:text=Ford F-150 Driving Range&text=The standard 3.3-liter V6,24 highway miles per gallon.
That’s a tough sell when you’re paying $4-5 a gallon in Europe.