Seven more centimeters in 15 years. With the fashion of SUV, the height of the bells has only increased in recent years. And it is a danger in case of an impact with a pedestrian or more widely with a so -called “vulnerable” user (cyclists and two -wheeled vehicles, which do not have body), says a study published by Transport & Environment (T&E) this Thursday.
A decade of growth
The association takes on the example of particularly imposing models such as the defender of Land Rover or the Dodge Ram whose height of the hood exceeds 1 meter. In the case of a frontal clash with a pedestrian, the latter would be less protected. If it is a small pedestrian like a child, the latter would also be less visible.
On the contrary, the same shock with a lower hood would cause less injuries to a pedestrian.
“For children, this will be a problem in the sense that the drivers of these hood vehicles will not necessarily see the child who is right in front of the car, but it is also a risk, for pedestrians, since a high hood vehicle multiplies the risk of having serious injuries when it is affected by this type of vehicle,” explains BFMTV Nicolas Raffin, Forest for the Association for France.
If the models taken as an example in the study do not represent most of the SUVs sold in the continent, and in particular in France, this career at height represents a global problem, for T&E.
“In 2024, about 5% of new cars sold in France had a hood greater than or equal to 1 meter high,” says the association spokesman.
The latter significantly evokes two best -selling models, such as Dacia Duster or Citroën C3 Aircross, respectively, ninth and 22 better the best sales last year on French soil.
Therefore, T&E requests an evolution of European regulations with a maximum height of 85 centimeters recommended for the hood, “subject to a more in -depth study.”
SUV Place in the public space in the heart of the debates
This new publication occurs as this issue of a possible greater danger of SUV in case of accident, due to its size, it returns regularly to the debates. Especially because these vehicles of today represent almost a sale of new cars in two and that many motorists are resorting to this type of model to obtain more security.
“Often, when you have a bigger car, you are a little more raised, explain Madeline to BFMTV. We have a better visibility along the way, so I don’t think there is more danger.”
But explaining the reasons and causes of an accident is not easy. At the end of April, a study conducted by Imperial College and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine that analyzed 680,000 accidents for 35 years pointed out, therefore, more serious injuries due to cyclists and pedestrians in case of shock with a SUV that with a conventional vehicle.
“The risk of fatal injuries increased by 44% for people of all ages reached by a SUV, compared to those attacked by a private car,” the study said.
This Imperial College article is mainly based on US studies. However, as Matthew Avery, Director of Strategic Development of EuroCap-Who, tests and classifies new models according to the security criteria, through shock tests, the United States does not have, unlike Europe, the legislation to protect pedestrians in case of shock. If this legislation is not related to the height of the vehicles, it covers different factors.
European legislation in constant evolution
European legislation dates from 2003 and has been gradually strengthened, working so much on the capacity of bells to absorb clashes, in the form of bumper and front faces, but also more recently in the introduction of driving aids (cameras, radars to detect pedestrians or more and more emergency braking in 2024). This has gradually evolved the philosophy of road safety, not only to limit the harmful consequences of a shock, but above all, now try to avoid it.
“The height can affect the way the pedestrian can be affected, but the shape of the vehicle is critical,” Matthew Avery said.
The latter gives the example of the defender, whose general rhythm has evolved very little for almost 70 years, but where the current generation is very safe for vulnerable users. Therefore, he won a 71% score during his last evaluation by the Institute in 2020, with good protection of the Pedestrian Chief but relatively less good in the basin.
The hip and knee are critical elements that manufacturers and regulators seek to protect, as well as the chief of a cyclist or a pedestrian, whom a fortiori does not wear a helmet, we summarize an expert in accidentology. Manufacturers also work on new and softer materials (such as plastics, polystyrenes) for front faces to better absorb shock absorbers.
It remains to be seen how these different technologies have been extended in the park. Several experts point out the difficulty of comparing vehicles of different generations, precisely due to this development of the regulations. And also points to the environment that plays a preponderant role in case of shock. However, a model of more than two tons remains subject to the laws of physics where the weight will worsen things in case of excessive speed.
Source: BFM TV
