TAMPA, Fla. -- More than half of the vehicles sold are SUVs, but the love affair is deadly when it involves pedestrians.
Findings from a Detroit Free Press/USA Today investigation were eye-opening. They say SUVs stood out as a big component when it came to the growth of pedestrian deaths.
“When it’s raining, they think that they can drive without any regards for the other people.”
Miriam Galis was riding in her husband’s large Nissan, but prefers her smaller sedan. She agrees SUVs can be more dangerous.
“It causes more damage if you have an accident with a giant truck versus a small car.”
Paul Ardolino thinks SUVs are safer all around.
“What I find with this car is I can see better out of them than I can the smaller cars. So, if there’s somebody around me, I can see a lot better around me.”
The investigation also showed:
- Higher front-end profile of SUVs make them twice as likely to kill someone in a collision.
- Yet, federal regulators have done little to fix or publicize the danger.
- And, Tampa was number eight in the country with the highest death rate.
“We were almost at 30 pedestrian deaths already this year and we are halfway through the year,” said Gena Torres with Vision Zero Hillsborough.
Vision Zero’s mission is to make roads safer and end pedestrian deaths.
“I think any vehicle, the pedestrians are in a losing situation, they are the vulnerable person in this conflict, Torres said.
“The people who are getting hit are someone’s loved one.”
An important reminder, no matter what your car to stay focused on the road.
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