A US Senator is calling on the federal administration to strengthen frontal visibility standards for SUVs in order to prevent the kind of auto accidents caused when drivers are unable to see child pedestrians walking in front of the SUV. This visibility issue has resulted in pedestrian accidents which, all too often, result in the wrongful death or serious personal injury to the child.
SUVs are the most popular vehicles in the United States. They are, unfortunately, also some of the deadliest vehicles on the road. Because of their large size and bulk, SUVs pose a major threat of serious personal injuries and even wrongful death to occupants of a smaller vehicle involved in an auto accident with an SUV. SUVs also come with a higher risk of a rollover. Rollover car accidents are linked to a high risk of personal injuries and wrongful deaths.
Approximately 50% of all cars manufactured in the United States are now SUVs. Sales of SUVs have risen even as overall car sales have fallen across the country. American motorists’ appetite for large vehicles does not seem to be ending any time soon, considering the popularity of large- sized SUVs in the market.
What is even more worrisome is that the size of the average American SUV is actually increasing.  The larger size of these vehicles makes it hard for an SUV driver to notice child pedestrians walking or standing in front of the SUV. Automakers are now investing in SUVs that are not only larger, but also have higher floors.  This makes it even more challenging for the SUV driver to see a smaller passenger in front of the vehicle.
Now, Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democrat – Connecticut is calling on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to address the problem of lower visibility that prevents SUV drivers from seeing child passengers above their hoods. The Senator who serves as a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation is urging the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to come out with stronger standards for high visibility in front of SUVs. Concerns over SUV drivers striking pedestrians standing or walking behind the car or in the driver’s blind spots, have resulted in laws that required cars to be equipped with back over cameras to reduce the risk of these accidents. However, there are no such laws that require automakers to focus on visibility in front of the SUV. According to the Senator, blind zones in front of an SUV can be as large as 16 feet, preventing the SUV driver from seeing children in this area. The Senator believes it is possible to use similar technology to increase visibility in front of an SUV, reducing the risk that the SUV will run over a child pedestrian.
The Atlanta car crash attorneys at Katz Personal Injury Lawyers are dedicated to the representation of persons injured in car accidents in the metro Atlanta region and across Georgia. If you or a loved one have suffered injuries in a car accident, talk to a lawyer at our firm and determine if you have legal options to a claim for damages.   You may be eligible for compensation that includes medical expenses, lost income and other types of damages.  Talk to an attorney at our firm and discuss your case.