Study: SUVs, pickups hit pedestrians more often than cars do

Trucks, SUVs and vans typically have thicker “A-Pillars” than cars because of federal roof-strength standards to prevent collapse in rollover crashes, the IIHS said. The pillars typically are wider because they have to withstand the higher weights of the bigger vehicles.

And the pillars aren’t the only things creating blind spots in the bigger vehicles. Consumer Reports found last year that high hoods also obstructed driver views of pedestrians crossing in front of the vehicles.

“To see over that high hood, you’re going to be looking further down the road,” said Jennifer Stockburger, director of operations at Consumer Reports’ auto test center.

The magazine and website found that pickup truck hood heights have risen 11% since 2000. The hood of a 2017 Ford F-250 heavy-duty pickup was 55 inches off the ground, as tall as the roofs of some cars, Stockburger said.

Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, which sell the bulk of the large SUVs and pickups in the U.S., all declined comment on the study. Messages were left seeking comment from Auto Innovators, an industry trade group.

Automakers could use stronger metals to make the A-Pillars smaller and increase visibility, said Wen Hu, an IIHS senior transportation engineer and another study author. “These larger vehicles, they need stronger pillars, we all understand that,” she said. “Increasing the size of the A-Pillar is not the only way to increase the strength.”