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Oversized pickup trucks put pedestrians in danger 

Pedestrians face an incredible amount of risk any time they are around vehicles. But the greatest risk comes from oversized vehicles, such as modern pickup trucks. These have been growing over the decades, and they have gotten to the point where they are causing a disproportionate amount of fatal accidents.

A big part of the problem is that these vehicles tend to be very tall, they have blunt front ends and they have wide hoods. A child standing in front of a modern pickup truck may be entirely invisible to the driver. They would be clearly visible to someone in a sedan at a red light, for example, who would wait for the child to walk through the crosswalk before turning right. But someone in a pickup truck may not see the pedestrian at all. They may just execute the turn, driving through the crosswalk and causing a fatal accident.

What do the statistics say?

To some degree, you can simply look at pictures of children standing in front of these vehicles, and the risk becomes very obvious. But you can also look at the statistics, and they back it up.

For example, one study showed that pickup truck accidents involving pedestrians make up less than 6% of the total motor vehicle crashes over the course of the year. However, these same accidents make up 12.6% of fatal crashes.

In other words, pickup trucks themselves are doubling the fatality risk for pedestrians. Many drivers do not realize this, perhaps simply enjoying having a large vehicle or thinking that it keeps them safe. But the reality is that they are putting everyone else in danger.

Your legal options

Have you been injured in a pedestrian accident or perhaps lost a loved one? If so, be sure you know what legal steps to take.