Older residents of Indianapolis and other cities and towns across the state
likely never focused all that much when they were younger on potential
risks to their safety every time they took a walk.
Now many of them likely do – and should, according to federal regulators.
Today’s traffic environment poses stark challenges for all pedestrians
across the country that simply did not exist in former years. We noted
some of them in a recent blog post, noting in
our May 18 entry that, “The obstacles to safety are many and great.”
One injury catalyst that is of growing concern for safety organizations
is the SUV, which is immensely popular with the American public. Reportedly,
SUVs and smaller passenger trucks now account for about 60% of all vehicle
purchases across the U.S.
And that is not good news for the walking public, which faces outsized
risks from SUVs.
Most prominent is this: They have higher front ends than cars, and are
often more bluntly shaped in outline. That contour, notes a recent in-depth
article on
pedestrians’ stark vulnerability in SUV-linked collisions, makes it more likely for walkers hit by them to suffer catastrophic or
deadly head injuries.
Studies that have emerged recently (and even years ago) underscore the
heightened safety risks posed for walkers by SUVs, even indicating that
they are the predominant cause for increased pedestrian fatalities nationally.
Regulators are strongly urging all automakers to install next-step technology
assists such as automatic low-speed braking in their SUV offerings. The
NHTSA is also recommending that new SUV rollouts come with pedestrian
safety ratings.
Tabor Law Firm attorneys are intimately aware of the risks posed for walkers
across the Indianapolis metro and elsewhere across the state. As we noted
in our earlier post cited above, “Pedestrians are vulnerable and
need to be protected through all rational and lawful means.”
We welcome contacts to the firm to discuss the proven advocacy we bring
to bear on behalf of accident victims and families who turn to us for
guidance and diligence representation.
