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Pedestrians aren't getting killed more often because cars are bigger. They're not being seen due to low visibility from A pillar designs. SUVs used to be quite

Pedestrians aren't getting killed more often because cars are bigger. They're not being seen due to low visibility from A pillar designs. SUVs used to be quite boxy and large in the 90s and early 00s (think 90s Ford Explorer, Chevy Suburban, etc), but began to take on a more streamlined, car-like look in the late 00s / early 10s. As a result of this design shift to crossovers, the A column gets slanted and blocks a wide field of view that especially affects drivers when making left turns. This coupled with a higher ride height means pedestrians aren't getting seen, especially at night. If you look at the stats, virtually the entire increase in pedestrian deaths over the last 10 years has occurred at night.

cozzyd 3y ago
I think cars getting taller also doesn't help (pop over the hood vs. trampled underneath), but I'm not sure...
- chrisco255 3y ago
  That "pop over the hood" theory is incorrect. If a car is moving at deadly speed you will not simply roll over a cars hood unharmed. You're still taking a 3000+ pound hit at 30 or more miles per hour, and you will most likely be embedded into the forward crush zone and subsequently flung forwards after the driver brakes in response. At any rate, it's largely left-turning, night driving vehicles that are causing the increase in deaths in North America. These pedestrians are being struck at an angle rather than head on.
  - cozzyd 3y ago
    Probably a Hollywood-induced myth
xethos 3y ago
It's not the slant so much as the width - it wouldn't be thick enough, close enough, and leave such poor visibility were it thinner. But it's required to be thicker to survive a rollover without the big heavy body crushing the roof (and occupants). I've driven vehicles that don't have to survive a rollover (a few models of New Flyer diesel bus). The A pillar being slanted or straight makes no difference. It's the thickness that'll block a pedestrian.
- chrisco255 3y ago
  This is definitely true, but if a pillar is vertically oriented, it's going to obscure less horizontal area regardless of thickness. Both factors work against visibility.
tzs 3y ago
> They're not being seen due to low visibility from A column designs. SUVs used to be quite boxy and large in the 90s and early 00s (think 90s Ford Explorer, Chevy Suburban, etc), but began to take on a more streamlined, car-like look in the late 00s / early 10s. As a result of this design shift to crossovers, the A column gets slanted and blocks a wide field of view that especially affects drivers when making left turns I'm having a bit of trouble understanding this. I've done some visibility tests in my car, a 2006 Honda CR-V, and I don't think the A columns would cause me to miss a pedestrian. I'm not sure how that compares to newer cars, but just looking from the outside at newer cars in parking lots and on the street the size and slant of the A columns seems similar to mine. What I found in my tests is that the slant of the columns helps with me seeing pedestrians. Yes, along any given horizontal line the column could completely span the visual width of a pedestrian who is not very close to the car, but since pedestrians stand vertically it is only covering part of them vertically. E.g., if the column is blocking me seeing waist it won't be blocking the chest or head. If it is blocking their chest I'll see their waist and head. A column with little or no slant would be able to block from head to waist. From my perspective in the driver's seat, the driver side column is less slanted than the passenger side column, so it does block more of a pedestrian. Still, I think if a walking pedestrian was close enough that I might hit them when turning in that direction they would be close enough that enough of them would be unblocked for me to see them. Also, since I'm much closer to the driver side column, when I turn my head from looking straight ahead to looking to the left that moves my eyes enough that there is enough perspective shift that the places that someone who is at a distance where they could be completely blocked cannot remain blocked throughout the head turn. I'll either catch them with my right eye at early in the head turn or my left late in the head turn. This might vary between people. When I turn my head to check the driver's side I also move my head back a little. Someone who moves their head forward as they turn it could end up with the perspective shift from the turn being offset by the perspective shift from moving the head forward. PS: while writing this I had an idea for a simple add on that could make it a lot easier to see pedestrians near the car. Why not add a pair of mirrors near the bottom of the windshield directly in front of the driver. One mirror would be angled to let the driver see what is on the left, and one to see what is on the right.

cozzyd 3y ago

I think cars getting taller also doesn't help (pop over the hood vs. trampled underneath), but I'm not sure...

chrisco255 3y ago
That "pop over the hood" theory is incorrect. If a car is moving at deadly speed you will not simply roll over a cars hood unharmed. You're still taking a 3000+ pound hit at 30 or more miles per hour, and you will most likely be embedded into the forward crush zone and subsequently flung forwards after the driver brakes in response. At any rate, it's largely left-turning, night driving vehicles that are causing the increase in deaths in North America. These pedestrians are being struck at an angle rather than head on.
- cozzyd 3y ago
  Probably a Hollywood-induced myth

xethos 3y ago

It's not the slant so much as the width - it wouldn't be thick enough, close enough, and leave such poor visibility were it thinner. But it's required to be thicker to survive a rollover without the big heavy body crushing the roof (and occupants). I've driven vehicles that don't have to survive a rollover (a few models of New Flyer diesel bus). The A pillar being slanted or straight makes no difference. It's the thickness that'll block a pedestrian.

chrisco255 3y ago
This is definitely true, but if a pillar is vertically oriented, it's going to obscure less horizontal area regardless of thickness. Both factors work against visibility.

tzs 3y ago

> They're not being seen due to low visibility from A column designs. SUVs used to be quite boxy and large in the 90s and early 00s (think 90s Ford Explorer, Chevy Suburban, etc), but began to take on a more streamlined, car-like look in the late 00s / early 10s. As a result of this design shift to crossovers, the A column gets slanted and blocks a wide field of view that especially affects drivers when making left turns I'm having a bit of trouble understanding this. I've done some visibility tests in my car, a 2006 Honda CR-V, and I don't think the A columns would cause me to miss a pedestrian. I'm not sure how that compares to newer cars, but just looking from the outside at newer cars in parking lots and on the street the size and slant of the A columns seems similar to mine. What I found in my tests is that the slant of the columns helps with me seeing pedestrians. Yes, along any given horizontal line the column could completely span the visual width of a pedestrian who is not very close to the car, but since pedestrians stand vertically it is only covering part of them vertically. E.g., if the column is blocking me seeing waist it won't be blocking the chest or head. If it is blocking their chest I'll see their waist and head. A column with little or no slant would be able to block from head to waist. From my perspective in the driver's seat, the driver side column is less slanted than the passenger side column, so it does block more of a pedestrian. Still, I think if a walking pedestrian was close enough that I might hit them when turning in that direction they would be close enough that enough of them would be unblocked for me to see them. Also, since I'm much closer to the driver side column, when I turn my head from looking straight ahead to looking to the left that moves my eyes enough that there is enough perspective shift that the places that someone who is at a distance where they could be completely blocked cannot remain blocked throughout the head turn. I'll either catch them with my right eye at early in the head turn or my left late in the head turn. This might vary between people. When I turn my head to check the driver's side I also move my head back a little. Someone who moves their head forward as they turn it could end up with the perspective shift from the turn being offset by the perspective shift from moving the head forward. PS: while writing this I had an idea for a simple add on that could make it a lot easier to see pedestrians near the car. Why not add a pair of mirrors near the bottom of the windshield directly in front of the driver. One mirror would be angled to let the driver see what is on the left, and one to see what is on the right.