You’re standing at the corner, waiting for the light to change so that you can use the crosswalk. There’s a driver in a pickup truck next to you, waiting to make a right turn. When the light changes, you know that you have the right of way, so you begin to cross the road. The driver should see you and wait for you to clear the lane before they make their right turn.
All of this is great in theory, and you are correct about how the traffic laws work. But there’s one major issue: The driver of the pickup truck may not see you. They could simply turn and run into you before they even know that you’re in the crosswalk. This is something that has been happening more and more in recent years, as vehicle designs change.
Pickup trucks are getting taller
The biggest issue is that vehicles are getting taller. This does apply to SUVs, but the main culprit is the modern pickup truck.
For example, if you look at the height of a pickup’s front hood in 2000 and compare it to the height of an average hood in 2018, you’ll find that the hood is 11% taller. This creates a much larger blind spot, meaning that you could be completely hidden by the truck’s own hood. Additionally, the average weight of a pickup truck increased by 24% over the same time.
These visibility issues become even more pronounced when children are involved. In some cases, multiple children could all be in front of a vehicle, entirely unseen by the driver. This is very dangerous for children who walk to school and back during the school year, for example.
Ultimately, drivers need to understand the shortcomings of the vehicles that they have chosen, and they’re still liable if they cause an accident. If you’ve suffered injuries, be sure you know how to seek compensation.
