Ground-impact injuries — a frequent cause of head injuries — were more than twice as common in SUV crashes than those involving cars, the study showed. The findings follow earlier IIHS research that showed SUVs are more lethal than cars to pedestrians despite design changes that have made them less dangerous to other vehicles. That study also traced the increased risk to the height of SUVs’ front ends.
Fatal bicycle crash rates have risen dramatically over the past decade. In 2020, 932 bicyclists were killed on U.S. roads, up from a low of 621 in 2010. One reason may be the dominance of pickups and SUVs in the U.S. vehicle fleet. Research consistently shows that such larger vehicles are more dangerous to bicyclists than cars.
I got hit (T-bone collision) by a work van this summer and it had a slanted nose so that the point of contact was between the bumper and the side of my front wheel. But because of the lever action between the traction of the wheels and the sideways motion at the point of contact, I was thrown sideways onto the ground in the direction the van was moving. If the nose was taller, I probably would’ve broken my arm or my leg due to a higher impact on the side. But a lot of my bruises (no broken bones yay) were where I touched the ground or where the bike was violently moved between my legs (my body colliding with the bike seat and the frame).