Many pedestrians live in and walk around Minnesota. Unfortunately, since 2009, the number of pedestrians killed in accidents nationwide is increasing. Understandably, many people are wondering why fatalities are rising when modern cars have collision warnings, backup sensors and other safety features that are intended to help drivers avoid accidents.
Bigger vehicles
Automobile manufacturers try to produce vehicles with features that customers want. Because of that, many companies manufacture larger cars, trucks and SUVs. Large automobiles can be great if you have lots of people or cargo to transport. But sizeable vehicles can also cause severe injuries or death to pedestrians and cyclists.
Larger blind spots
Car companies have also designed modern automobiles to sit higher and have smaller window areas than past vehicles had. Unfortunately, these designs can also increase the number and size of a driver’s blind spots. Many motor vehicle accidents result from drivers colliding with a person or vehicle that they couldn’t see.
Changing manufacturing standards
A few decades ago, larger trucks, SUVs, and similar vehicles posed significant risks of rolling over, so manufacturers began designing and manufacturing stronger roof supports. While these supports help reduce rollovers, they also create heavier automobiles that pose dangers to pedestrians. Making matters worse, newer motor vehicles tend to strike bicyclists and pedestrians in the head or vital organs instead of their legs. The result is often serious injuries or death.
A rise in pedestrian accidents and deaths has lawmakers, vehicle companies and consumers wondering what comes next. One potential way to help solve this problem is a crowdsourced database of where blind spots are for drivers of various vehicles. Some are hopeful this data could improve how companies design future automobiles.