Young automobile designers study engineering and automotive design with aspirations of becoming the next Giorgetto Giugiaro (Alfa Romeo, BMW, Bugatti, Fiat, Lamborghini, Maserati, SEAT) or Batista Pininfarina (Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Lancia) or perhaps Ian Callum (Aston Martin, Ford, Jaguar). They seek to combine their knowledge of engineering with imagination to create aesthetically stunning and technologically superior vehicles.

Designer ideas often appear as carmaker concept cars that dazzle viewers at car shows but never reach the production floor. In the United States, government regulations, as dictated by the National Transportation Safety Board, get in the way.

These regulations are driven by a combination of fuel economy and pedestrian safety standards resulting in specific parameters for automotive design. In recent years, new car designs have seen a proliferation of blunt front ends, high hoods, and the “reverse teardrop” shape on many three-box (three separate compartments: engine, passenger, and cargo) vehicles.

Mark Adams, design chief for Opel/Vauxhall, claims: “In the last five to 10 years designing cars has gotten a hell of a lot tougher.”

With each successive year, the homogenization process has rolled forward, making each generation of cars look even more identical. The Mazda Miata is an example of a vehicle that began as a slick two-seat roaster that evolved into a shrunken version of all the other cars on the road with a swollen nose, rear, and beltline.

Boring uniformity abounds in the automobile industry.

Pedestrian Fatalities Highest Since 1988

Pedestrians cross a New York city street
Via: Business Insider

Studies by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) show Pedestrian fatalities have increased significantly over the past three decades, reaching 6,000 in 2017 and over 6,500 in 2018. When all the data is analyzed, the rate for 2019 is expected to be even higher.

Executive Director at GHSA, Jonathan Adkins, says, “In the past 10 years, the number of pedestrian fatalities on our nation’s roadways has increased by more than 50%. This alarming trend signifies that we need to consider all the factors involved in this rise, identify the high-risk areas, allocate resources where they’re needed most, and continue to work with local law enforcement partners to address the chronic driver violations that contribute to pedestrian crashes.”

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What Is Causing The Increase In Pedestrian Fatalities?

Handsome businessman talking with phone while driving a car in the city
Via: The Injury firm

The rise in pedestrian casualties can be attributed to several causes. A study by the Federal Highway Administration shows that most pedestrian fatalities occur on local roads, away from intersections, and at night. During the past decade, the number of nighttime pedestrian fatalities increased by 67%, while daytime pedestrian fatalities grew by 16%. The results suggest the need for safer road crossings and improved methods for making vehicles and pedestrians more visible.

Unsafe driving behavior is another source of pedestrian accidents. Speeding and distracted and drowsy driving pose significant risks to pedestrians. Driving under the influence of alcohol or other substance is a contributing factor. In 2018, driver and/or pedestrian alcohol impairment was reported in nearly 50% of traffic accidents that resulted in pedestrian fatalities.

The Federal Highway Administration reported other possible reasons for the continuing increase in pedestrian traffic deaths, including the growing popularity of SUVs and light trucks, cellphone use while driving, and warmer weather.

From 2009 to 2018, new vehicle sales of light trucks and SUVs increased from 48 percent to 69 percent, contributing to the increase in pedestrian accidents. The study also shows the fatality rate for pedestrians struck by a large SUV is twice the rate of those hit by a car.

The U.S. federal government is conducting additional studies of the role that SUVs are playing in the fatalities of vulnerable road walkers. Pedestrian advocates have long expressed concern about SUV risks, and the growth in sales makes the investigation even more essential.

The SUV design with its larger body and taller carriage poses a greater risk to pedestrians and increases the probability of deadly blows to the torso. The higher clearance of factory models (and aftermarket lifted) SUVs means pedestrians are prone to being trapped beneath the vehicle instead of being forced onto the hood of the vehicle or pushed out of the way.

Vehicle velocity is another factor in any accident, but even more critical when pedestrians are involved. Modern SUVs are being built with more and more horsepower giving them acceleration characteristics that smaller cars lack. The result is even greater peril to the pedestrian.

RELATED: 15 Examples Why Some People Shouldn’t Modify Their SUVs

New Technology Helps Reduce Pedestrian Casualties

pedestrian crash avoidance technology
Via: Daniel R. Rosen

In February 2019, a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found that digital safety systems can identify pedestrians and automatically apply a vehicle’s brakes, helping prevent many pedestrian collisions and lowering the severity of others.

IIHS conducted a battery of tests placing crash dummies in some of the most common pedestrian collision situations to determine if eleven small SUVs would stop in time or significantly slow down before impact.

“Overall, these systems performed very well,” said David Aylor, active safety testing manager for IIHS. “Nine of the eleven models avoided or significantly slowed down to mitigate the impact of a crash.”

In recent years, some automakers have voluntarily included pedestrian crash avoidance technology in their safety packages, even though federal regulators have yet to make them mandatory. No doubt, the safety feature will become standard equipment in the near future.

RELATED: The Rise And Rise Of The Luxury SUV

Safety And Environmental Regulations Have Destroyed The Entire Car Aesthetic

SUV Jeep
Via: Pinterest

While traditional efforts to reduce pedestrian casualties have focused on infrastructural, educational, and enforcement approaches, an investigative report by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in 2017 proposed several other potential ways for the U.S. to reduce pedestrian deaths.

The NTSB recommendations are concentrated on changing the way U.S. automakers design, manufacture, and sell cars, including developing “performance test criteria for vehicle designs that reduce injuries to pedestrians.”

Although strict design criteria and testing are essential to pedestrian safety, they have ruined American car aesthetics and resulted in all vehicles looking the same.

Perhaps CNET expressed it best in their video, “Reasons why cars look the same,” demonstrating that all modern cars have bunker windows, fat faces, high belt lines, thick Pillars, and big butts.

NEXT: The 15 Smallest SUVs Ever Produced

Sources: thetruthaboutcars.com, curbed.com, ntsb.gov, ghsa.org, caranddriver.com