Megacar Crisis
Basics
Study: SUV Drivers Cause 55% Worse Injuries To Bicyclists They Hit
Just like pedestrians, bicyclists who are struck by SUV drivers endure significantly more severe injuries — particularly to the head — than those struck by the drivers of smaller cars, a new study finds, adding to a mountain of evidence that suggests regulators should do more to rein in deadly vehicle designs that are increasingly dominating U.S. roads.
April 13, 2023
How Does Toxic Masculinity Play Out On Our Roads — And How Do We Stop It?
On this episode of the Brake, host Kea Wilson sits down with researcher and urban planning professor Tara Goddard to talk about how toxic masculinity plays out on our roads and what can we be done to stop it. Listen in.
April 11, 2023
Researchers Are Sounding the Alarm About Heavy EVs — Even in Europe, Where Cars Are Far Smaller
The swelling size of the average car on the road is threatening the environmental potential of EVs more than proponents may realize, a prominent watchdog group warns.
April 3, 2023
Are Blinding SUV Headlights Making US Roads Less Safe?
Blindspots the size of a pre-school classroom. Hulking curb weights. Tall, aggressive hoods that can easily strike a fully-grown adult at the level of the neck. Those are just a few of the design features common on American SUVs and pick-up trucks that experts suspect are driving the U.S. roadway death crisis.
March 8, 2023
Kids’ Psychology Affects How They Behave Around Cars — And Regulators Should Take Note
The feds have taken steps to understand how a wider range of bodies are likely to fare in a car crash. But as regulators finally begin to look outside the car, some researchers think it's time they start thinking about our brains, too — particularly when it comes to kids.
February 1, 2023
NTSB Chair on Vision Zero and the Safety Problems of Heavy EVs
"We have to be careful that we aren’t also creating unintended consequences: more death on our roads."
January 17, 2023
Big Auto’s Fuel Economy Plateau is Especially Bad News for Pedestrians
Average fuel economy on new U.S. vehicles has hit a troubling plateau last year, a new federal report finds — and the reason why is particularly bad news for vulnerable road users, in addition to the planet at large.
December 15, 2022
Opinion: The Real Reason Why Americans Keep Buying SUVs
Urbanists often see SUV purchases as an unnecessarily individualistic expression of decadence, but perhaps we might start to see this reaction as a personal strategy to mitigate a developmental priority that promotes exclusivity.
November 25, 2022
‘Minimobility’ Can Make Streets Safer — But Will SUV-Loving Americans Embrace It?
Small, slow-speed passenger vehicles that are safer for pedestrians could be a $100-billion industry by the end of the decade, a new report claims.
October 10, 2022
How Surging Pickup and SUV Sales Are Undermining Carbon Reductions From EVs
In spite of rapidly growing sales, EVs have not yet measurably cut carbon. The reason why? A lack of meaningful regulations around megacars.
September 26, 2022
