[ad_1]
FARIDABAD: India should not repeat the mistake that the United States has made by promoting sale of more sport utility vehicles (SUVs) since these pose serious risks to pedestrians, executive president of Global NCAP, David Wardsaid. The bonnet or hood heights of such vehicles are higher compared to others and the risk of fatalities is more as in case of a crash the bonnet hits the upper part of the body.
“The car industry‘s relentless push to sell larger and heavier SUVs in every segment is bad news for road safety and particularly for those driving smaller, more efficient vehicles, and vulnerable road users…Increasing growth and demand for SUVs in India and other countries is a major road safety and environmental challenge. The governments should discourage sale of these big vehicles. In recent years, cars have become heavier, taller and more powerful,” Ward said, while speaking at the Global Road Safety Initiative meet organised by Institute of Road Traffic Education and two major UN organisations, UNESCAP and UNECE.
The sale of SUVs in India has almost doubled in the past five years and now these make up for around half of the annual passenger car sales. Ward told TOI that India, which has taken several steps to improve vehicle safety, should not follow what the US example.
In India, there are the four-wheeler ownership is lesser, with two-wheeler occupants and pedestrians accounting for more than 1 lakh out of the total 1.68 lakh road deaths.Unlike in the west, in India more people die outside cars. In 2022, only two-wheeler riders and pedestrians accounted for more than one lakh out of the total 1.68 lakh road deaths.
Ward cited the findings of a recent study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the United States, where nearly 80% of the cars are SUVs. Studying 18,000 pedestrian crashes, the non-profit entity has found that SUVs and pick-ups with bonnet height more than 40 inches are about 45% more likely to cause fatalities of pedestrians. It was also found that among vehicles with bonnet heights between 30 and 40 inches, a blunt, or more vertical, front end increases the risk to pedestrians.
The issue of SUVs also came up at the recent Vision Zero summit in Stockholm where Nhan Tran, the head of safety and mobility at the World Health OrganisationWHO had flagged the issue.
The IIHS has submitted its findings with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the US government. An automobile industry insider said the SUVs pose greater risk as in case of a crash the bonnet hits the upper part of the body.
“The car industry‘s relentless push to sell larger and heavier SUVs in every segment is bad news for road safety and particularly for those driving smaller, more efficient vehicles, and vulnerable road users…Increasing growth and demand for SUVs in India and other countries is a major road safety and environmental challenge. The governments should discourage sale of these big vehicles. In recent years, cars have become heavier, taller and more powerful,” Ward said, while speaking at the Global Road Safety Initiative meet organised by Institute of Road Traffic Education and two major UN organisations, UNESCAP and UNECE.
The sale of SUVs in India has almost doubled in the past five years and now these make up for around half of the annual passenger car sales. Ward told TOI that India, which has taken several steps to improve vehicle safety, should not follow what the US example.
In India, there are the four-wheeler ownership is lesser, with two-wheeler occupants and pedestrians accounting for more than 1 lakh out of the total 1.68 lakh road deaths.Unlike in the west, in India more people die outside cars. In 2022, only two-wheeler riders and pedestrians accounted for more than one lakh out of the total 1.68 lakh road deaths.
Ward cited the findings of a recent study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the United States, where nearly 80% of the cars are SUVs. Studying 18,000 pedestrian crashes, the non-profit entity has found that SUVs and pick-ups with bonnet height more than 40 inches are about 45% more likely to cause fatalities of pedestrians. It was also found that among vehicles with bonnet heights between 30 and 40 inches, a blunt, or more vertical, front end increases the risk to pedestrians.
The issue of SUVs also came up at the recent Vision Zero summit in Stockholm where Nhan Tran, the head of safety and mobility at the World Health OrganisationWHO had flagged the issue.
The IIHS has submitted its findings with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the US government. An automobile industry insider said the SUVs pose greater risk as in case of a crash the bonnet hits the upper part of the body.
#Dont #promote #SUV #sale #Global #NCAP #chief
