Pickup trucks are getting larger, creating hazards for other drivers and pedestrians
Pickup trucks have always been popular in Canada and that's been especially true during the pandemic, with some people buying them to haul boats, trailers and other recreational vehicles.
Whether you own a pickup truck or you’ve driven by them on the highway, you've probably noticed they've gotten much larger. The increase in size is causing safety concerns for some.
That’s because pickup trucks have steadily gotten taller, longer and heavier over the past two decades and research shows they could be a hazard for other drivers and pedestrians.
Pickup trucks now account for one of every five new vehicles sold and the Ford F Series is currently the best-selling vehicle in North America. They're often sought after by drivers because they're luxurious, safe and powerful.
When studying the hidden danger of big trucks, Consumer Reports found the height of passenger trucks has increased 11 per cent since 2000 and pickups have become 24 per cent heavier on average from 2000 to 2018.
With that increased heft comes increased dangers as data found big trucks have poorer front sight lines and bigger blind spots that can hide a pedestrian or smaller car right in front.
“Because of their height and long hoods, we found that some trucks had front blind spots 3 metres longer than those in the average sedan and 2 meters longer than in many popular SUVs, which increases the risk of the driver running over someone in front of them that they cannot see,” Keith Barry, Auto Editor with Consumer Reports, told CTV News Toronto.
Advocacy group KidsandCars.org studied fatalities in drive-over deaths and found the average victim's age was between just 12 months and 23 months.
A pickup's tall front end and higher bumper are also more likely to cause serious injuries upon impact than the bumper of a lower vehicle and trucks are more likely to push a pedestrian down and run them over.
So why have manufacturers made them so tall?
The makers of RAM trucks declined to comment. Ford and GM told Consumer Reports said the changes were driven by consumer preference and that the big trucks needed larger grilles to support engine cooling.
But there may be another reason—the trucks make automakers a lot of money.
“Despite these risks, automakers are reluctant to make changes to a vehicle that is a major source of profit. An automaker might make four to five times more money from selling a pickup than a sedan,” Barry said.
Can anything be done to make these trucks safer?
Mandatory advanced safety technology such as automatic emergency braking could help. If vehicles continue to get larger, it may also be necessary to reduce speed limits and design roads that are safer for pedestrians and cyclists to share with big trucks.
While there are some jobs that really do require a large truck, if you only need one occasionally, you can consider renting one. Some rental companies offer pick-up trucks, as well as home improvement stores.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A newspaper says video of Prince William and Kate should halt royal rumour mill. That's a tall order
Prince William and his wife Catherine have been filmed at a farm shop near their Windsor home, The Sun newspaper reported -- the first footage of Kate since she had abdominal surgery for an unspecified condition two months ago.
'You ask for your money, they disappear': Ontario man loses $17K to AI crypto scam
A Toronto man is spreading the word of a cryptocurrency scam that lures victims using AI-generated news sites after he lost $17,000 in investments.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Trump says Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and their religion
Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and hate 'their religion,' igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.