For Instant Launch: August 27, 2024
Contact: Carina Figliuzzi, [email protected]
Congresswoman Scanlon Introduces Invoice to Stop Pedestrian Accidents and Deaths
Over the previous 15 years, pedestrian deaths brought on by automotive accidents have risen by 80 %.
Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Mary Homosexual Scanlon (PA-05) launched the Pedestrian Protection Act to handle the speedy rise in pedestrian fatalities associated to elevated SUV and pickup truck dimension, by requiring the Nationwide Freeway Visitors Security Administration (NHTSA) to develop automobile security requirements to guard pedestrians, bicyclists, and weak street customers. The invoice would implement requirements for harmful options like automobile peak and hood and bumper design, and a minimal visibility normal to scale back blind zones.
Over the previous 15 years, pedestrian deaths ensuing from automotive crashes have risen by 80 %. Throughout this era, many standard automobile fashions in the USA have change into bigger, increased, heavier, and embrace extra blunt options. A rising physique of analysis demonstrates the hyperlink between SUVs and pickups with such design options and elevated threat for pedestrians, particularly kids. Bigger automobiles have lowered driver visibility, resulting in increased charges of crashes with pedestrians, together with cyclists and youngsters.
“As automobiles and pickup vans have change into greater and heavier, we’re seeing pedestrian fatalities attain historic highs, and newer automobiles usually go away drivers unable to completely see their environment, together with pedestrians, kids, and bicyclists,” mentioned Congresswoman Scanlon. “With bigger, heavier, increased automobiles gaining popularity in the USA, we can not ignore the rising physique of analysis that hyperlinks such automobiles to elevated threat for pedestrians. I’m proud to introduce the Pedestrian Safety Act to push for automobile security and visibility requirements to handle these dangers and design flaws and prioritize the protection of our kids and households.”
The invoice is endorsed by the Heart for Auto Security, Advocates for Freeway and Auto Security, and Youngsters and Automotive Security. Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-08) is an authentic cosponsor.
“With the numerous rise within the recognition of bigger, heavier automobiles over the previous decade, stopping avoidable pedestrian tragedies is a high precedence for Youngsters and Automotive Security,” mentioned Amber Rollins, Director of Youngsters and Automotive Security. “Pedestrians face dangers not solely on public roadways but in addition off-road, a hazard that’s usually underestimated. Nontraffic pedestrian crashes end in at the least 777 deaths and 17,505 accidents per yr. The Pedestrian Safety Act represents a vital step in direction of addressing this escalating concern. We prolong our gratitude to Congresswoman Mary Homosexual Scanlon for her dedication to safeguarding kids, weak street customers, and others.”
“America’s roads are actually teeming with huge automobiles and vans that considerably improve the danger of dying or harm for pedestrians, bicyclists, and everybody on the street, each in and outdoors of automobiles. The Pedestrian Safety Act incentivizes automakers to enhance visibility that stops crashes involving pedestrians and different weak street customers, and to develop automobiles that pose much less hurt when these tragedies happen,” mentioned Michael Brooks, Govt Director of the Heart for Auto Security.
“Crossing the road shouldn’t be a death-defying act. But, pedestrian fatalities are at historic highs, with practically 9,000 individuals killed in 2022. As passenger automobiles have expanded in dimension and weight, so has their threat to different roadway customers. We assist the Pedestrian Safety Act launched by Rep. Mary Homosexual Scanlon (D-PA) to handle security disparities by setting new security requirements, guarantee drivers can see and reply to all street customers, and enhance client data,” mentioned Cathy Chase, President of Advocates for Freeway and Auto Security.
Discover the complete invoice textual content here.
Discover a one-pager on the invoice here.
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