SUVs and Child Pedestrian Accidents

In recent years, sport utility vehicles (SUVs) have become some of the most popular vehicles on the roads in and around Richmond, and throughout the country. According to an article in The Week, SUVs originally were developed following the popularity of the US Jeep Cherokee in the mid-1970s, and throughout that decade and into the 1980s, more vehicle manufacturers began developing SUVs, including the particularly popular “crossover” type of SUV. Over the last decade, the rate of SUV ownership rose significantly in the United States and across the globe. By 2022, SUVs accounted for approximately 46 percent of all new vehicle sales.

As more SUVs hit the roads, the rate of serious pedestrian injuries also increases. In particular, according to a recent study in the Journal of Safety Research, child pedestrians are sustaining severe and deadly injuries at a markedly higher rate, due in large part to collisions involving SUVs. Our Richmond personal injury lawyers can provide you with more information about the study, and we can tell you more about your potential options in the aftermath of a pedestrian and SUV accident involving a child.

SUVs Are Especially Dangerous for Children on Foot 

Any pedestrian can be severely injured in a collision with an SUV. Yet, as the recent study reports, “children are eight times more likely to die when struck by a SUV compared to children struck by a passenger car.” The data cited by the researchers in the study shows that drivers of SUVs are involved in only about 17 percent of all reported traffic collisions, yet they are responsible for approximately 40 percent of all child pedestrian fatalities. SUVs are also disproportionately involved in all pedestrian deaths — regardless of age — but the danger they pose to children on foot is particularly obvious.

As SUVs continue to populate the roads, it is more important than ever for parents and caregivers to consider steps to avoid pedestrian injuries involving children. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the following for parents and caregivers:

• Avoid allowing younger children to play in driveways, unfenced yards, and areas adjacent to roads;
• Accompany children under the age of 10 on any walks;
• Teach children how to cross roads safely and to look right, left, and right again before crossing; and
• Ensure that kids of all ages, but especially teenagers, understand the risks of distracted walking.

 Contact Our Richmond Pedestrian Accident Attorneys for Assistance

Pedestrians of any age can be seriously injured or killed in a collision with a motor vehicle. Much too frequently, these collisions result from a motorist’s negligence. Whether you sustained injuries in a crash or your child was injured in a pedestrian accident involving a car or light truck, it is important to seek legal advice from one of the experienced Richmond pedestrian injury lawyers at Latham & Martin as soon as you can. While an insurance claim or lawsuit may feel daunting in the aftermath of a severe pedestrian accident, insurance claims and civil lawsuits are often the only way to hold the negligent motorist accountable while also seeking compensation for losses. Contact us today to learn more about potential options and available damages related to a pedestrian and motor vehicle accident.

Sources:

sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022437522000810?via%3Dihub

theweek.com/culture-life/cars/the-rise-of-the-suvs

publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/152/1/e2023062506/191562/Child-Pedestrian-Safety?autologincheck=redirected