Accident fatality rates are higher than many people realize. Every year, around 40,000 Americans die in car accidents. For some vehicle classes, such as large pickup trucks and SUVs, the fatality rates have actually been trending upward.
This is problematic because these oversized vehicles are certainly in fashion right now. It’s very trendy for people to buy huge SUVs and pickup trucks simply to run errands, take the kids to school or drive to work. Sharing the road with a higher percentage of these dangerous vehicles increases your odds of being involved in a fatal accident.
Larger blind spots
The first reason for these accident rates is that oversized vehicles tend to have larger blind spots. There have been cases where pickup truck drivers have hit pedestrians or cyclists that they never saw, for example. Many of these accidents happen at intersections. Someone may be trying to cross the road when a driver turns into them without seeing that they are already in the crosswalk. The design of these vehicles makes them inherently dangerous.
High hood levels
The next thing to consider is that the hood levels on these vehicles are very high, and they have flat front ends. Not only does this make it harder to see what’s in front of the vehicle, but it increases the odds that a cyclist or a pedestrian will be knocked down and then run over by the front tires.
If you’ve lost a loved one or suffered serious injuries in a motor vehicle accident, take the time to look into your options to seek compensation for medical bills, last wages, funeral costs and more.