Many Florida residents enjoy getting outside and walking to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. Unfortunately, with so many people driving larger vehicles such as pickup trucks, the chances of accidents occurring with pedestrians are higher. A study shows that pickups can be lethal in these situations.
Why are pickup trucks so dangerous?
More people than ever seem to be driving pickup trucks and other larger vehicles. Pickups don’t have much coverage in terms of bumpers. Bumpers are positioned higher, which means if the truck gets into an accident with a pedestrian, the impact would be much higher on the person’s body. As a result, pickup trucks can more easily cause serious injuries and even death. This is especially true for children and shorter adults, who could sustain head injuries in such an accident.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, pickups have specific blind spots due to being such tall, bulky vehicles. When a pickup truck is making a turn onto another road, its design could prevent the driver from seeing a pedestrian crossing the street. However, even if the vehicle is traveling straight, the driver might not see a pedestrian passing by the passenger’s side.
Lack of certain safety features poses higher risks
Only a few manufacturers of pickup trucks use advanced safety systems in those vehicles. While automatic emergency braking is a standard feature found in many smaller cars, it isn’t used as widely in trucks. This can increase the risk of a serious accident occurring that could leave pedestrians, other drivers or passengers dealing with catastrophic injuries.
Tests on pickup trucks also determined that larger vehicles are less likely to avoid an accident. The size, weight and design in addition to the lack of safety features contribute to this issue.
If you suffered injuries in an accident with a pickup truck, it’s your right to fight back and protect yourself.