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According to a new study, the fears were unfounded: pedestrians are no more likely to be run over or seriously injured by an EV. But there is one type of vehicle that stands out as being far from safe for pedestrians: SUVs.
Electric cars are quite quieter and, as a general rule, much heavier than their gasoline equivalents, which has given rise to concerns about danger that can represent for pedestrians.
A new study, led by researchers at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom and published on Tuesday in Nature Communications, concludes, however, that trams are no longer dangerous for those traveling on foot than conventional vehicles.
On the other hand, the study concluded, the so-called Sport Utility Vehicles, or SUVrepresent a high risk for pedestrians.
In the study, which analyzed road safety data from the British Government between 2014 and 2023, Zia Wadudprofessor of Mobility and Energy Futures, and his team wanted to understand if EVs collide with pedestrians more frequently because they are quieter andand the additional weight translates into more serious injuries.
The investigation compared accident ratios involving pedestrians for EV, hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) and internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEV) in the period 2019-2023.
2019 was the year in which EV sales started to grow quickly, notice the , and also the one in which the Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS), a system of sound alert that warns other users the road while driving at low speeds.
The study concludes that the fears were unfounded: Pedestrians are no more likely to be struck or seriously injured by an EV than by a vehicle with an internal combustion engine.
The new study’s findings contrast with those of an analysis published last year by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, which concluded that more people are likely to be injured in a collision with an electric or hybrid car than in a vehicle with an internal combustion engine. because they are less audible.
Accident rates between electric (57.82) and gasoline (58.88) vehicles were practically identical. And although EVs are heavier, they have not been found to be more likely to cause serious injuries in collisions. This may be due to the more advanced security featureswhich help to prevent accidents or reduce damage when these happen.
Interestingly, the hybrid vehicles showed a higher rate of pedestrian victims, possibly related to their typical driving pattern, but associated injuries are less serious than those caused by vehicles with internal combustion engines.
Although the report highlights safety aspects of EVs, there is a type of vehicle that stands out as being far from safe for pedestrians: SUVs. According to the study, collisions with SUV increase the likelihood of serious injury or fatal injuries to pedestrians.
“There is a abundance of evidence on the negative impact of SUVs and large vehicles in road safety, due to their greater weight and (in the case of SUVs) their shape,” the study states. This is particularly true for SUVs older, which have lower safety standards.
“We should worry less about the potential dangers of electrified vehicles and more with the growing prevalence of SUVs”, diz Wadud.
The study also points out that female drivers are less likely of causing serious injuries to pedestrians, while younger drivers tend to produce the opposite effect.
Well, apparently trams are no longer dangerous for pedestrians after all. Except, of course, if we are talking about an electric SUV.
