Pedestrians face a higher risk from electric vehicles compared to traditional cars with combustion engines.
Increasing numbers of electric cars will soon be driving on roads around the globe. This development could bring forth repercussions for pedestrians, as per a recent British study. The research suggests that the likelihood of pedestrian accidents with electric vehicles is double the risk involved in combustion engine cars.
A study inside the UK examined the possibility of augmented dangers posed by electric vehicles to pedestrians. The analysis revisited statistics dating back to the past and found out that pedestrians had a higher chance of being impacted by electric or hybrid vehicles than petrol or diesel ones. One possible explanation for this divergence might be the lack of sound emitted by electric cars - specifically in urban areas, where the background noise is more pronounced, this absence of sound can make them less perceptible, according to the researchers in the "Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health".
Drivers operating electric or hybrid automobiles should be more vigilant about pedestrians, say experts, as they may not be aware of the approaching car and could dart onto the road. Technical measures like collision avoidance systems and autonomous emergency braking are among the potential remedies being considered.
No justification to avoid strolling
The study's authors wish to reiterate that these findings shouldn't dissuade individuals from walking or cycling. Instead, they encourage utilizing this information to comprehend potential hazards within the realm of transportation and take appropriate measures.
Led by Phil Edwards from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, the research team probed the accident risk in the UK with data obtained between 2013-2017. Of nearly 96,000 pedestrians hit by cars and taxis, approximately three-quarters (67,000+) were hit by diesel or petrol vehicles, and close to 1,700 counted as victims of electric or hybrid automobiles. Notably, 10% of the incidents were without recorded vehicle type information.
Most mishaps occur in urban areas
The researchers juxtaposed these figures against the distance traversed by each automobile type and used the result to calculate the number of pedestrian accidents per 100 million miles (~160 million kilometers). The annual average for both electric and hybrid vehicles (5.16) was twice as high as for diesel and petrol vehicles (2.40). Furthermore, the majority of accidents occurred in urban regions.
The researcher provides caveats in their study, stating that the results are predicated on data available up to 2017. Moreover, there could be inconsistencies owing to a bias towards younger, less experienced drivers (who are more likely to own an electric car) and tend to be involved in more road accidents.Variable factors such as the weight or acceleration of the vehicles play a role.
Prompt acceleration, increased weight
Although electric cars are known for prompt acceleration, they, like all cars, are getting heavier on average. Recently, manufacturers are frequently marketing high-performance electric cars like SUVs and luxury sedans. Reports from a few countries have already demonstrated this trend directly results in a higher propensity of traffic accidents involving electric cars than combustion engines.
Electric vehicles operate silently, especially when taking off. Thus, lawmakers legally call for a constantly generated sound to assist visually impaired individuals in identifying the vehicles' location. Manufacturers' sound engineers have the latitude to determine the exact nature of the noise.
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Source: www.ntv.de
