Pedestrian deaths are climbing as vehicles increase in size. More families are grieving the consequences.
The link between pedestrian deaths and vehicle size
Last December, Karla Molina sent her 2-year-old son Emmanuel out to run errands with his grandmother in Houston. They were crossing the street when a pickup truck hit them.
"I get a call — 'Your mom and your son got hit,'" Molina said.
Karla's mom survived, but Emmanuel did not. The driver says he never saw them.
"I ran barefooted, saw my son under the guy's truck and I hold my son. I knew he was gone," Karla said.
Pedestrian deaths have surged 78% in the past 15 years, according to the Department of Transportation. That's in part due to the rising size and weight of vehicles like SUVs and trucks, which create large blind zones directly in front of them and require longer braking distances.
Over the past three decades, the average passenger vehicle has gotten 1,000 pounds heavier and eight inches taller, according to The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
"As pedestrians, we need to be aware that these vehicles are out there," said Jennifer Stockburger, who runs the Consumer Reports Auto Test Center.
Demonstrations conducted at the test facility highlight the danger of blind spots in front of the hood. Every vehicle has one, but it's much bigger in larger vehicles. That can make it difficult for drivers to see pedestrians — especially small children — right in front of them.
It also takes longer for heavier vehicles to come to a complete stop after hitting the brakes.
SUVs and pickup trucks account for three-quarters of vehicle sales in the U.S., according to Edmunds. The popularity of large vehicles is not likely to change, but automakers have started repositioning front cameras lower, which may help drivers, in some cases, see pedestrians.
It is a safety upgrade that is too late for the Molinas.
"He gave us a pain in our family, a major pain that we will never forget," Karla said.
The family is hoping changes to technology and awareness can prevent anyone else from feeling their pain.
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