Okay. What's the correlation coefficient?
The deadly rise of giant trucks and SUVs
71–80 of 816 posts
Re: The deadly rise of giant trucks and SUVs
#72So this is only one of the reasons, and a relatively small one:
“Our estimate is that about 200 to 400 pedestrians a year would not have died if vehicles had remained approximately the same size over the past quarter-century,” the report continued. “That represents about 10 percent of the recent increase in pedestrian deaths.”
Re: The deadly rise of giant trucks and SUVs
#73It could be why.
It could also be from people staring at their cell phone and walking down the road. I see it all the time. I've seen people walk right into intersections against the light.
Maybe, it's even both, because while I can believe large cars aren't helping... I surely know staring on your phone, walking, and not paying attention is just plain dumb.
Re: The deadly rise of giant trucks and SUVs
#74Re: The deadly rise of giant trucks and SUVs
#75there’s another thing that started to get quite popular in the late 2000s… smartphones
Then surely Europe shares that trends and shows growth in pedestrian death. But that isn't the case at all, maybe Europeans are immune to smartphones: https://road-safety.transport.ec.europa.eu/document/download...
Anecdotally...
Having spent time driving in both Europe and Southern California, I'd say that European drivers are more attentive to their driving and way less likely to be looking at their phone while driving, since it's policed. You can often see drivers in SoCal holding their phone for a video call.
Re: The deadly rise of giant trucks and SUVs
#76there’s another thing that started to get quite popular in the late 2000s… smartphones
Then surely Europe shares that trends and shows growth in pedestrian death. But that isn't the case at all, maybe Europeans are immune to smartphones: https://road-safety.transport.ec.europa.eu/document/download...
It could be Europe has stricter driver's license requirements resulting in fewer people who might succumb to distractions getting behind the wheel. And more availability of walking and public transit options meaning more of those people don't need to drive in the first place. Giant vehicles certainly don't help regardless.
Re: The deadly rise of giant trucks and SUVs
#77While their conclusion is probably correct, I would have liked to seen the number of fatalities normalized by population, miles driven, number of pedestrian increase, speed limit change etc
I find any conclusion that doesn't focus on TEXTING to be suspect. By focusing on the wrong things (especially the endless caterwauling about "speeding"), people are letting legislators off the hook for abetting murder. Texting while driving should be a DUI-level offense, with the same penalties. But year after year, they refuse to do anything about it.
What would make non-Americans text less?
Re: The deadly rise of giant trucks and SUVs
#78Vehicles accelerate a LOT faster on average than years ago, EVs and Turbo Engines...
Re: The deadly rise of giant trucks and SUVs
#79there’s another thing that started to get quite popular in the late 2000s… smartphones
Then surely Europe shares that trends and shows growth in pedestrian death. But that isn't the case at all, maybe Europeans are immune to smartphones: https://road-safety.transport.ec.europa.eu/document/download...
maybe there are other confounding factors that make smartphone utilization much less likely in Europe. Specifically no daily long commute in a car where people get bored and are tempted to use them.
Re: The deadly rise of giant trucks and SUVs
#80WA state recently passed a law about e-bikes/e-motorcycles to deal with the issue of younger teens on these kinda moped-style e-bikes going very fast around town (and often riding quite recklessly). The law is reasonable, but it strikes me what a double standard there is for biking vs driving. For biking, there's a danger that's noticed, and we quickly pass a law that straight up bans that type of bike for those ride…
that's because lobbyists own our souls :)