By Paul Marks, New Scientist
\nSomeone struck by a large sports utility vehicle is more than twice as likely to die as someone hit by a saloon car travelling at the same speed. The finding by American researchers will add further weight to calls for SUVs \u00ad sporty vehicles with a high, blunt-fronted body atop a broad chassis \u00ad to be made safer.
\nIn March, Jeffrey Runge, the head of the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), called on the automobile industry to make SUVs safer (New Scientist print edition, 8 March).
\nTheir high centre of gravity makes them more likely to roll over. According to the NHTSA, 36 per cent of fatal SUV crashes in the US in 1998 involved a rollover, compared with only 15 per cent in cars.
\n…
\nhttps:\/\/www.newscientist.com\/article\/dn4462-suvs-double-pedestrians-risk-of-death\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Paul Marks, New Scientist Someone struck by a large sports utility vehicle is more than twice as likely to die as someone hit by a saloon car travelling at the same speed. The finding by American researchers will add further weight to calls for SUVs \u00ad sporty vehicles with a high, blunt-fronted body atop … <\/p>\n