America’s Pickup Trucks are Big, Popular, and Can Cause Deadly Accidents
The most popular vehicles in Kentucky and the rest of the US are full-size pickup trucks. The fact they can haul heavy loads over rough terrain isn’t enough. They feed into the American dream of bigger is better. Size comes with many costs, including the fact that without going very quickly, full-size pickups can bludgeon pedestrians to death.
If you or someone close to you is injured because a vehicle struck you as a pedestrian, Satterley & Kelley PLLC lawyers can stand up for your rights. With an office in Louisville, we handle pedestrian accident claims and other personal injury litigation throughout Kentucky. If you want help, call us at 855-385-9532.
How Popular are Full-Size Pickups?
Four full-size pickup trucks were among the ten best-selling new vehicles in 2023, according to Car and Driver, and they were the top three sellers. These ten vehicles sold just over 4 million units, and the pickup trucks accounted for about half of that.
For Kentucky in 2023 up until October, two full-size pickup trucks were the top-selling new vehicles, and three full-size trucks were the three biggest used vehicle sellers, according to Bumper.
How Do People Use Pickups?
Most trips made in pickups have nothing to do with the fact the vehicle has a bed in the back, according to Axios. The Ford F-150 for years has been the top-selling vehicle in the US, with 750,789 units sold in 2023 (about a third more than the number two vehicle, the Chevrolet Silverado).
F-150s are frequently used for shopping or errands (87%), pleasure driving (70%), and commuting (52%), according to F-150 owner survey responses from 2012 to 2021. Almost a third stated they rarely or never used the trucks for personal hauling, and nearly two-thirds said the same about towing something behind the truck.
Why Do People Buy Pickups?
They’re used by businesses, in agriculture, and those involved in outdoor recreation. Increasingly, they’re bought because they fit an image a buyer wants to portray. In surveys of vehicle owners in 2020, 15% described their vehicles as powerful, and 19% stated they were rugged. Forty percent of F-150 owners stated their trucks were powerful, and half called them rugged.
One study of F-150 owners showed almost 40% stated they wanted a functional vehicle in 2011. That dropped by about half to 18% by 2020. Many F-150s are apparently owned by those wanting a powerful, rugged, impractical vehicle.
Why are Pickups Dangerous for Pedestrians?
While full-size pickups have been able to haul and tow generally the same loads over the years, they have ballooned in size. Their average weight increased by 32% from 1990 to 2021. The gross weight of a 2023 F-150 is almost 6,500 pounds. The battery-powered Lightning version tips the scales at 8,250 pounds. The top-selling non-pickup in 2023 is a small SUV, the Toyota RAV4, which weighs about half that.
With more weight comes more force striking pedestrians, increasing the risk of severe and fatal injuries. Trucks’ front ends are larger and more boxy, so a wider area of pedestrians’ bodies absorbs the force.
The front ends of current F-150s are the average height of an American 8-year-old. The average American woman is five feet, four inches tall. If hit by an F-150 head-on, a woman would be struck from about her knees to her chest.
Compared to a popular sedan, the Toyota Camry, a woman of average height would be struck from about her ankles to the top of her legs. In a pedestrian collision, she might roll onto the hood. If hit by an F-150, the front end would directly release the energy of the crash into her body.
Another problem with full-size pickups is the drivers’ sight lines. The vehicle is tall, so drivers sit pretty high up, but the high front ends block their views, so they can’t see what’s directly ahead of them. Consumer Reports stated in 2021 that they measured 15 new vehicles’ front visibility. They found some trucks had front blind spots 11 feet longer than those of some sedans and seven feet longer than many popular SUVs.
The number of pedestrians killed by vehicle accidents nationwide jumped from about 6,300 to 7,500 just from 2018 to 2022, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association.
Several factors contribute to these crashes, but our roads are filled with large, heavy, full-size pickups with tall front ends and poor sight lines, which many own as fashion statements. If you wanted to design a vehicle to injure or kill pedestrians, you’d probably come up with something like a full-size pickup.
Speak To a Kentucky Vehicle Accident Lawyer Today
If you are a pedestrian injured in a collision with a pickup or other vehicle, we are a law firm you can trust to defend your rights and obtain the most compensation possible for your injuries. Put boots on the ground with help from Satterley & Kelley PLLC.
Call 855-385-9532 or complete our contact form today to schedule a free initial consultation at our Louisville office.