The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration proposed new vehicle rules that it says will reduce pedestrian deaths. For the first time ever, auto manufacturers would be required to study what happens to crash test dummies hit outside of a vehicle.

The rules will likely cause the design of vehicles, particularly large ones like trucks and SUVS, to evolve.

“We have a crisis of roadway deaths, and it’s even worse among vulnerable road users like pedestrians,” Sophie Shulman, a deputy administrator for the NHTSA, said.

As large SUVs and trucks have become more popular and therefore more common on roadways, they have been linked with a concerning rise in pedestrian deaths over the last decade.

The vehicles’ high hoods lower visibility for drivers and are more likely to strike a person in the head, which leads to fatal injuries.

The new rule proposed by the NHTSA for testing with dummies outside of vehicles will likely result in lower, more sloped hoods. The agency estimates the proposal will save about 67 lives a year.

Why Change Is Needed

Research has strongly indicated over the last several years that heavier vehicles with taller, vertical hoods are dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists. The high hood strikes the person’s head and chest, while a smaller car with a sloping front will strike the legs first.

Pedestrian fatalities rose 57% between 2013 and 2022 — nearly half of fatalities were caused by SUVs and trucks alone. Between those years ownership of these vehicles increased from 24% to 36%.

Despite the increase in pedestrian deaths and the dangers to others on the road, U.S. manufacturers and regulators hesitated to move forward with pedestrian protection.

Why? Because of concerns regarding “vehicle styling”, according to Angie Schmitt, author of Right of Way: Race, Class, and the Silent Epidemic of Pedestrian Deaths in America, in an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times.

Once at the forefront of the car safety movement, America now lags behind. The new proposal to test cars by hitting crash dummies outside the vehicle, plus a separate one requiring emergency braking in new cars, aims to change the automotive landscape for the better.

Atlanta’s Roads Are Deadly for Pedestrians

According to data from the Governor’s Safety Highway Association, Georgia’s pedestrian deaths have increased each year since 2019, jumping from 239 to 335 annual fatalities in just four years. And compared to other racial/ethnic groups in Georgia, Black individuals had the highest pedestrian fatality rate.

Larger vehicles, wide roadways that encourage high speeds and quick turns, lack of adequate sidewalks and lighting, and driver negligence has led to further tragic incidents in 2024:

• May 4: A pedestrian is seriously injured by a hit-and-run driver in a Ford F150 in Griffin.
• June 16: A 38-year-old pedestrian dies after being struck on Pryor Road in Atlanta, with a secondary victim in his 50s left in critical condition.
• June 22: A 57-year-old bicyclist suffers multiple broken bones and a severe brain injury after being struck by a hit-and-run driver in a Toyota Tundra truck in Cobb County (the victim later died and the driver was found).
• August 11: A bicyclist in a bike lane is struck by a state representative (allegedly under the influence) on Memorial Drive in Atlanta.
• August 28: A 53-year-old pedestrian is killed by a hit-and-run driver in a black SUV in College Park on Old National Highway.
• September 6: A 74-year-old female pedestrian is struck and killed by a van on Atlanta Highway.
• September 16: A pedestrian is killed in DeKalb County late at night.

New measures at the federal, state, and local level will take years to reduce pedestrian accidents. Until then, a person struck and injured by a car should contact a pedestrian injury lawyer to investigate and help defend their rights.

Atlanta Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

For decades, Atlanta’s roads and neighborhoods have almost exclusively been built to accommodate automobile traffic — not people. It makes walking, scootering, biking, and any other method of transport that is not by car far more dangerous than it should be.

If you or a person you know was struck by a car and severely injured, contact the Atlanta pedestrian injury law firm of Gary Martin Hays & Associates. We investigate pedestrian accident cases and hold negligent drivers responsible, especially if they were under the influence of drugs or alcohol while behind the wheel.

Understand Your Rights: Pedestrian Accident FAQ

We understand many cases of pedestrian accidents involve a hit-and-run driver. Our team is ready to assist the authorities with the investigation. If the driver is never found, we will fight to make sure the insurance companies compensate the victim for their injuries and pain.

In the unfortunate circumstance where the pedestrian victim dies after being struck, our pedestrian death lawyers can file a wrongful death claim on behalf of the surviving family members. Filing a claim for a pedestrian death can’t remove the grief, but it can help relieve the financial burden of funeral expenses and provide future financial support that the victim might have earned had they continued living.

During this traumatic time, it is urgent you protect your rights by hiring a pedestrian accident law firm with decades of experience behind it. Contact Gary Martin Hays & Associates today for a free consultation.

Every injury case is unique. We work with clients on a personalized plan of action to maximize financial compensation and peace of mind.

NHTSA Proposal for Pedestrian Head Protection

Read Full Document