tall vehicle accidents

Published on: July 28, 2025

Study: Many Cars Now Have Expanded Blind Zones, Bigger Car Accident Risks

Much of motorist safety has to do with safe vehicle design. Thousands of car accidents every year are likely caused by imperfect or defective design of automobiles. A disturbing new study finds that some of the top-selling cars in America, including larger automobiles like SUVs and pickup trucks have blind zones that have expanded in size over the past 25 years. Simply put, larger blind spots greatly increase the risk of car accidents.

The analysis was conducted recently by researchers at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a group that has been in the forefront of demanding that automakers implement safer vehicle designs as a way of preventing car accident wrongful deaths. This study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety used new measurement techniques to measure a motorist’s area of vision around the vehicle.

The study found that between 1997 and 2023, forward visibility around a vehicle dropped by as much as 58% in some of the most popular SUVs on the market. In the case of pickup trucks, the forward visibility dropped by 17%. This means that the blind zones in many of the most popular and highest- selling pickup trucks and SUVs in the United States have actually been decreasing significantly in size over the past few years.

Published on: January 2, 2025

Speeding Exacerbates Pedestrian Personal Injury Risks of Taller Vehicles

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Earlier research indicated that it might be the taller height of large vehicles like SUVs that make them a bigger personal injury threat to pedestrians than mere vehicle weight. Now, newer studies confirm that speeding only exacerbates those risks to auto accidents involving pedestrians which often result in severe and catastrophic personal injuries.

According to a new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, speeding increases the risk that a sports utility vehicle or a pickup truck poses to a pedestrian. Exactly how much of a risk depends on the height of the vehicle. Taller vehicles that are speeding are much more likely to cause grave or fatal injury to a pedestrian when they are in a collision with them.

The size of an automobile can be a significant factor in the severity of the injuries that a pedestrian suffers in a car accident. However, the weight of the vehicle may not be as relevant since all vehicles, including smaller passenger cars, are heavier than pedestrians. What seems to significantly increase the severity of the personal injury risk to pedestrians is the height of the vehicle. Taller vehicles with a taller hood, for example, like large – sized SUVs, are much more likely to cause serious personal injuries to pedestrians because the pedestrian is more likely to suffer personal injuries to his upper body or head in such auto accidents. These are some of the most devastating injuries, and are very likely to result in catastrophic damage or wrongful death.

Published on: February 14, 2024

Large Cars are a Major Car Accident Risk on Georgia Roads

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

While car accident wrongful death numbers in the rest of the developed world have been falling significantly, they have actually been on the rise in the United States. Part of the reason for this, experts say, is the presence of massive or large automobiles on our roads.

Tall SUVs are extremely popular, and have been so for decades. The race to make these cars bigger and better has, unfortunately, resulted in serious safety consequences for motorists and pedestrians. Some of these tall trucks, especially those with blunt trunks, aim directly at the torso or neck of the average American woman. The height of these vehicles makes it almost impossible for motorists to see shorter pedestrians, like young children behind the car. Even more devastating is the kind of impact that an auto accident with one of these monster-sized cars can result in. An auto accident with a smaller car may leave passengers suffering injuries in the leg, while an accident with a tall pick up truck or SUV can leave a passenger with personal injuries to the upper torso or the head and neck, and these personal injuries can be infinitely more serious. They are often also fatal.

Not only are these cars bigger and stronger, but they also come with large blind zones in front of the vehicle. That means they are at risk of causing severe and catastrophic personal injuries to vulnerable users of the road like pedestrians, motorcyclists and bicycles involved in an auto accident with these tall pickup trucks and SUVs. Of special worry is the large blind zone in front of these large vehicles. In one study, experts wanted to study how difficult it is for the driver in one of these cars to identify child pedestrians in front of the car. The experts made children sit in a row in front of the car. They found that a woman driver sitting in the driver’s seat was only able to see the 10th child in the row. Even an alert driver may not be able to identify child pedestrians in front of the car. The kind of car accidents that these large cars cause are devastating and often result in deaths.

Published on: December 19, 2023

Cars With Taller Front Ends More Likely to Cause Fatal Pedestrian Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Pedestrians are more likely to suffer fatal personal injuries in a car accident when they are involved in an accident with a large vehicle, like a pick up truck or SUV. According to the findings of a new study, however, more than the size of the vehicle, it may be the height of the front end of the truck that may prove most detrimental to pedestrian safety.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently published the findings of two new research studies into pedestrian safety. According to the researchers, vehicles that have taller, higher front ends are much more likely to cause serious and fatal personal injuries to pedestrians in a car accident. The study found that cars with a hood height of more than 40 inches were approximately 45% more likely to kill pedestrians involved in an auto accident with the car, in comparison to cars that had a hood height of 30 inches or less.

The worrying part is that vehicles with taller, higher hoods have become extremely popular over the past few decades. According to research by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, over the past 30 years, there has been a significant increase in not just the size and weight of the average vehicle, but also the hood height. The average car has increased by 8 inches in height and 1000 pounds in weight. Over the same period of time, cars have also gotten about 4 inches wider and about 10 inches longer. In fact, many vehicles that you see in Atlanta today are likely to be at least 40 inches or higher at the tallest point of the hood. Aggressive – looking vehicles are not just intimidating to pedestrians, but are also capable of causing serious and devastating personal injuries that can result in wrongful death.

Published on: March 26, 2019

Tips for Driving Safely around Large Commercial Trucks

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

There is never a shortage of tractor trailers or commercial trucks on Georgia roads. This seems especially true during rush hour in metro Atlanta. Trying to maneuver around a large commercial truck or 18-wheeler can be challenging, to say the least. One of the main reasons why driving around a large truck is tricky is due to the fact that the truck driver may not always see your car, which makes the chances of a being in an accident that much greater. More often than not, when a passenger vehicle is hit in an accident by a large commercial truck, the resulting injuries can be very severe.

Here are some tips on what you should always keep in mind when driving around a large commercial truck or tractor trailer.

Do not come to a sudden stop in front of the truck. These trucks have a much larger stopping distance. This means that it takes them much longer to come to a complete stop after the driver applies the brakes. If you are driving in front of a tractor trailer, braking suddenly can mean that the truck may crash right into your car with devastating consequences.