Safety truth of Australia's favourite cars | Bega District News - Australia News Beep

Safety truth of Australia's favourite cars Safety truth of Australia’s favourite cars

This is the real danger of utes and SUVs.

For the longest time, sedans were the dominant player of the car market and held the majority of sales.

Over the past 15 years though, the SUV revolution has been in full swing across the world, taking over from those sedans and hatches that previously dominated the sales charts.

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SUVs have higher bonnets than regular cars, making it more difficult for drivers to see over the top of, and presenting more deadly consequences for pedestrians when they get hit.

When a pedestrian is hit by a vehicle with a lower bonnet, they often roll onto the top of the car.

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But, on vehicles with raised bonnets like SUVs and utes, pedestrians go under the vehicle, according to research conducted by The New York Times.

SUVs and utes are by far the most popular cars in Australia, and research like this is not going ignored.

What did the New York Times data find?

Put simply: Bonnets are getting taller, increasing the danger to pedestrians.

The study found that since 2009, the number of pedestrian deaths each year in collisions with vehciles has increased by an enormous 75 per cent.

Between 200 and 400 pedestrians a year would have been spared if vehicles had stayed the same height, according to findings from the study.

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This is despite significant increases in on-board safety systems and software, with safety groups now placing significant emphasis on preventing accidents and not just how cars perform for occupants in crashes with other vehicles or stationary objects.

What does this mean for Australia?

As the top 10 best-selling cars in Australia are all either SUVs or utes, and this is something the local car safety watchdog is paying attention to.

The Australasian New Car Assessment Programme (ANCAP) weighed in on the dangers of large pick-ups last year.

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“Larger vehicles pose a bigger threat to other road users than passenger cars,” ANCAP Chief Executive Officer Carla Hoorweg said.

“The best way to reduce the potential risk of fatalities and serious injuries from large vehicles is to make sure they do the best possible job at avoiding a crash.

“There is community concern over the size of pickups when they are driving in suburban streets, around schools, and in built-up areas.”

A spokesperson for ANCAP told CarsGuide the organisation would consider bonnet heights more closely as part of its safety comparison testing in the future.

Transport for NSW have been contacted for comment on bonnet height and their impact on pedestrian safety, but has yet to provide a response.

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