![]() We urge USDOT to use its authority over vehicle safety ratings and standards to regulate size, design, and visibility for the protection of people outside of vehicles.” Larger cars and trucks are not the sole cause of the rise in pedestrian deaths, but the federal government has the direct ability to fix the known issues that make them lethal. “Their increased weight, towering front grilles, and poor visibility from the driver's seat make these vehicles deadlier than the smaller ones they replaced. ![]() “Larger cars and trucks are one reason why pedestrian fatalities have reached a ten year high in the United States,” said Mike McGinn, Executive Director of America Walks. To achieve our shared goal of Vision Zero and reverse the alarming trend in road fatalities, NHTSA should strengthen NCAP by prioritizing pedestrian protection and driver visibility in new vehicles.” Nearly all vehicles sold today earn four or five-star NCAP safety ratings-including the vehicles that are most likely to kill pedestrians. “In recent times however, some consumer advocates have noted that the program has stagnated. “NCAP has served to educate consumers about vehicle safety while also incentivizing new vehicles to incorporate the latest lifesaving vehicle safety features,” the lawmakers continued. “As the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) works on updating the federal vehicle safety ratings program, also known as the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), we respectfully urge you to include pedestrian protection and visibility from the driver’s seat as key criteria for vehicles to score the highest safety star ratings,” wrote the lawmakers. The United States is a global outlier in traffic deaths, with pedestrian fatalities increasing nearly 18 percent between 2019 to 2022. As vehicles have grown larger, blind spots have also become larger, substantially increasing the chances they might strike a pedestrian. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to prioritize pedestrian protection and visibility from the driver’s seat in federal vehicle safety ratings. ![]() WASHINGTON, DC – Representatives Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Steve Cohen (TN-09) and Earl Blumenauer (OR-03) led 27 colleagues in urging the U.S. ![]()
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