Walk this Way: Feds Finally Want Car Safety Standards to Apply to People Outside the Vehicle

[Biker16]

In the midst of a two-decade rise, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration proposed new rules to "reduce fatalities among pedestrians."

 

Quote

In the midst of a fifteen-year rise in pedestrian deaths that more or less mirrors the sharp rise in American vehicle size, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration proposed new rules on Monday to "reduce fatalities and serious injuries among pedestrians struck by vehicles" by establishing a new motor vehicle safety standard "requiring new passenger vehicles be designed to reduce the risk of serious-to-fatal injuries in child and adult pedestrian crashes."

The proposed rule itself would apply to all vehicles under 10,000 pounds, which includes almost all SUVs and "light trucks," which have become a large segment of the U.S. market.

 

“We have a crisis of roadway deaths, and it’s even worse among vulnerable road users like pedestrians,” Sophie Shulman, NHTSA’s deputy administrator, said in a statement.

The auto industry would be subject to new testing procedures "simulating a head-to-hood impact and performance requirements" and the resulting vehicle designs "would have to reduce the risk of serious to fatal head injury to child and adult pedestrians in impacts at vehicle speeds up to 25 mph, which encompass about 70 percent of pedestrian injuries from vehicle impacts," the rule states (emphasis ours).

Edited September 10 by Biker16

[silvrsvt]

 

[rmc523]

How about don’t walk in the road when cars are coming, and you don’t get hit by one

[silvrsvt]

10 hours ago, rmc523 said:

How about don’t walk in the road when cars are coming, and you don’t get hit by one

 

Common sense isn't so common, esp when people are trying to justify their employment. 

[Rick73]

Statement below suggests this logic or reasoning can expand beyond pedestrians.
 

 

“The new rule also acknowledges the elephant in the room as far as street safety advocates are concerned: both the New Car Assessment Program and the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards have historically been designed to ensure that new cars provide "a minimum level of safety that all new vehicles must provide to every purchaser," as opposed to those outside the car.”

[morgan20]

12 hours ago, rmc523 said:

How about don’t walk in the road when cars are coming, and you don’t get hit by one

 

Yea, smart idea. It's also smart to avoid cars and coffee event that attract Ford Mustang drivers, though at least the Mustangs have low/sloped front ends

 

 

 

[Biker16]

Things like this happen too. 

3 dead after alleged drunk driver mows down 10 pedestrians in NYC: cops (nypost.com)

[Biker16]

or this
Video shows SUV jumping sidewalk, hitting 3 pedestrians in Sacramento - CBS Sacramento (cbsnews.com)

[rmc523]

So why don't we make everyone wear a bubble wrap suit with deployable airbags at all times while walking around?

 

 

 

Like a lot of the new crash tests, at a certain point, you can't design for every single scenario....and cars are only going to get more and more expensive trying.

[Flying68]

32 minutes ago, rmc523 said:

So why don't we make everyone wear a bubble wrap suit with deployable airbags at all times while walking around?

Freedom of travel is a right. Everyone can "walk."

Driving a vehicle is a privilege. Privilege cannot encumber a right.

[silvrsvt]

Just now, Flying68 said:

Freedom of travel is a right. Everyone can "walk."

Driving a vehicle is a privilege. Privilege cannot encumber a right.

 

I can't really walk across the country either...there has to be some common sense applied to this-outside of people justifying their jobs-and most of the accidents above where due to other factors. Its not like people are just plowing into people just because...

[DeluxeStang]

23 hours ago, silvrsvt said:

 

I don't know how these things ever got past our current safety regulations, but I'm glad they did. I'm glad they're announcing the stupidity of their owners to me in advance so I don't have to confront it first hand. I can just learn to avoid them.  

Edited September 11 by DeluxeStang

[The Handler]

1 hour ago, rmc523 said:

So why don't we make everyone wear a bubble wrap suit with deployable airbags at all times while walking around?

 

 

 

Like a lot of the new crash tests, at a certain point, you can't design for every single scenario....and cars are only going to get more and more expensive trying.

And uglier.

[Rick73]

53 minutes ago, DeluxeStang said:

I don't know how these things ever got past our current safety regulations, but I'm glad they did. I'm glad they're announcing the stupidity of their owners to me in advance so I don't have to confront it first hand. I can just learn to avoid them.  

Video seems a pretty dumb commercial for Cybertruck.  Maybe it’s just me who sees little humor.  For what it’s worth, I saw my first one this weekend on the Interstate and it confirmed I don’t like the over-the-top styling in person any better than in pictures.  It was traveling slowly in heavy rain and when I came up from behind at first could not tell what it was.  Got a better look while passing it and can see why it is so polarizing.  Surprisingly I didn’t think it looked all that large, just strange; definitely draws attention I suppose.

[twintornados]

1 hour ago, silvrsvt said:

 

I can't really walk across the country either...

 

Well, yes you can...it will take a while though

[rmc523]

32 minutes ago, Flying68 said:

Freedom of travel is a right. Everyone can "walk."

Driving a vehicle is a privilege. Privilege cannot encumber a right.

 

Who says everyone can walk?  There are plenty of places I can't walk, and there are plenty of people that can't, period.

 

Next we'll need to design cars so that when a car hits a wheelchair, it's a perfect ramp shape so that they can just ride right over the car.

 

What about skateboarders?  What about bicyclists?

 

 

 

[Rick73]

1 hour ago, rmc523 said:

So why don't we make everyone wear a bubble wrap suit with deployable airbags at all times while walking around?

I recall reading of a similar concept proposed years ago, but for cars to have the equivalent of “bubble wrap” in form of deployable air bag which would inflate prior to a collision.  Not sure it would protect pedestrian much if bounced off at extreme speeds.  Expect having sensors that anticipate a collision and avoid it to start with is more effective overall.

[rmc523]

2 minutes ago, Rick73 said:

I recall reading of a similar concept proposed years ago, but for cars to have the equivalent of “bubble wrap” in form of deployable air bag which would inflate prior to a collision.  Not sure it would protect pedestrian much if bounced off at extreme speeds.  Expect having sensors that anticipate a collision and avoid it to start with is more effective overall.

 

Oh, I was being sarcastic saying people should wear these:

 

[Rick73]

10 minutes ago, rmc523 said:

 

Oh, I was being sarcastic saying people should wear these:

 

I know you were joking.  Was just adding that a similar concept of building a deployable bubble wrap for the car itself was actually contemplated at some point in the past.  The huge airbag was to effectively increase the vehicle’s crush zone.

[DeluxeStang]

19 minutes ago, rmc523 said:

 

Oh, I was being sarcastic saying people should wear these:

 

I don't feel safe sharing the picture of it here, but if they want to make it even easier to spot, Spirit Halloween sells 6 ft tall costumes of certain male parts. That would certainly make drivers pay more attention to you. 

Edited September 11 by DeluxeStang

[DeluxeStang]

33 minutes ago, Rick73 said:

Video seems a pretty dumb commercial for Cybertruck.  Maybe it’s just me who sees little humor.  For what it’s worth, I saw my first one this weekend on the Interstate and it confirmed I don’t like the over-the-top styling in person any better than in pictures.  It was traveling slowly in heavy rain and when I came up from behind at first could not tell what it was.  Got a better look while passing it and can see why it is so polarizing.  Surprisingly I didn’t think it looked all that large, just strange; definitely draws attention I suppose.

I'm starting to see quite a few around Salt Lake. They're always wrapped as well. One had fake carbon fiber over the body. It looked tacky, but not awful. 

[rmc523]

28 minutes ago, DeluxeStang said:

I'm starting to see quite a few around Salt Lake. They're always wrapped as well. One had fake carbon fiber over the body. It looked tacky, but not awful. 

 

They're all over the place down here now, and I don't like them any more the more I see them....some designs can grow on you but I haven't changed my stance on it..

 

On the flip side, you can't say it doesn't draw attention....

[Chrisgb]

4 hours ago, rmc523 said:

So why don't we make everyone wear a bubble wrap suit with deployable airbags at all times while walking around?

 

 

 

Like a lot of the new crash tests, at a certain point, you can't design for every single scenario....and cars are only going to get more and more expensive trying.

There you go, exactly. Pedestrians are so self absorbed watching their screens, rockin' out with iTunes on their Skull Candy ear pods they don't check traffic. In high pedestrian vs vehicle crash areas, the peds ought to be required to wear airbag vests.

https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=airbag+vest&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

[Biker16]

I think this should be mandatory 

 

https://youtu.be/8kP6R0clBGY?si=eyDZa3GVLGXkEvmU

[Chrisgb]

10 hours ago, Biker16 said:

I think this should be mandatory 

 

https://youtu.be/8kP6R0clBGY?si=eyDZa3GVLGXkEvmU

Just might work! Maybe would encourage more people to cross at crosswalks.

 

If you cross in a crosswalk, you are a pedestrian. If you J-walk you are a target.

Edited September 12 by Chrisgb