The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (“NHTSA”) announced a proposal aimed to protect podestrians during car crashes. “We have a crisis of roadway deaths, and it’s even worse among vulnerable road users like pedestrians,” said NHTSA Deputy Administrator Sophie Shulman. “Between 2013 and 2022, pedestrian fatalities increased 57 percent from 4,779 to 7,522. This proposed rule will ensure that vehicles will be designed to protect those inside and outside from serious injury or death. We will continue to work to make our roads safer for everyone and help protect vulnerable road users.”
NHTSA’s plan would essentially affect the design of all SUVs and pick-up trucks. The new standard would “require vehicles to meet a head injury criterion when subjected to testing simulating a head-to-hood impact. The vehicles would have to reduce the risk of serious to fatal head injury to child and adult pedestrians in impacts at vehicle speeds up to 25 mph, which encompass about 70 percent of pedestrian injuries from vehicle impacts.”
The NHTSA’s ultimate goal is for the new frontend designs to better mitigate the force of a pedestrian head impact, in turn increasing the chances of survival. Increasing visibility for the driver is also a major factor.The NHTSA mentioned that the proposed changes would save up to 67 lives per years.
If you or a loved one have been seriously injured in a Chicago auto and pediastrian accident, please contact the Chicago injury lawyers at the Bryant Law Group, LLC for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.