DETROIT — The U.S. government’s road safety agency wants the auto industry to design new vehicles including i ncreasingly large SUVs and pickup trucks so they reduce pedestrian deaths and injuries.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Monday that it’s proposing a new rule setting testing and performance requirements to minimize the risk of pedestrian head injuries.
The rule is aimed largely at SUVs and pickup trucks, which have grown in size and hood height over the years, causing blind spots for drivers.
The agency says the rule would save 67 lives per year. Data show that pedestrian deaths when hit by the front of a vehicle are most common for SUVs and trucks.
The proposed rule, required by Congress in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, would set test procedures to simulate head-to-hood impact as well as requirements to reduce the risk of head injuries. Human-like head dummies that simulate children and adults would be used in testing, NHTSA said in a prepared statement.
