What makes 4x4s so dangerous to pedestrians?
· The point of impact on the body is higher if hit by a 4x4, meaning it is more likely to cause head and chest injuries, rather than leg and lower body injuries. This particularly applies to collisions involving children, due to the height of their head and chest.
· Generally a 4x4 is heavier, stiffer and shaped more bluntly than normal cars and is therefore likely to cause more damage on impact. Weight is a major factor in velocity.
· The threat to pedestrians (especially children) is increased due to the bull bars fitted on the front of many 4x4s [3]. From January 2006, it will be illegal to fit bull bars to your vehicle.
· The size and design gives drivers a restricted view of the area immediately surrounding the vehicle. This means that young children are particularly vulnerable, as it is less likely that the driver will see them. According to the American independent body Consumer Reports, the blind spot for a driver of average height in a large 4x4 vehicle can be up to 28 feet [4]. This is a particular danger when taking a 4x4 on the school run – a time when there are a high number of children on pavements and crossing roads – and when using a 4x4 for shopping and parking it in busy supermarket car parks where there are lots of families about.
· In safety tests, 4x4s generally perform very poorly in terms of pedestrian safety. Many models have been described as having dire protection to pedestrians. On the EuroNCAP website, EuroNCAP claims that SUV manufacturer Jeep says it did not attempt to incorporate pedestrian protection in the design of its 2003 Cherokee model. [5].