Many of the most popular new vehicles sold may need to be sold with a host of safety features as early as January 1, 2024.
State Sen. Brad Hoylman, D-New York City, has proposed legislation (S.9528) that would require multiple safety features in vehicles weighing more than 3,000 pounds.
Hoylman wants to see these vehicles, and anything larger, come with active intelligent speed assist, advanced emergency braking, emergency lane keeping systems, blind spot information systems , drowsiness and distraction recognition technology, rear view camera sensor systems and event data recorders. The proposal would require blind-spot information systems to also include cyclist and pedestrian detection technology, but other regulations would be crafted by state officials.
Hoylman said in his legislative rationale that traffic violence in New York City increased in 2021 to levels not seen in years. There were over 270 traffic-related deaths on city streets in 2021. In 2020, the city also set a record for traffic-related deaths with 243.
“The unfortunate trends we are witnessing add up to a crisis. Every death is preventable. A multidimensional approach to street safety is needed to keep our pedestrians, cyclists, motorists and all road users safe,” Hoylman wrote in his legislative rationale. “Vehicle technology has advanced significantly in recent years, with advanced safety features now available that have the potential to significantly reduce injuries and fatalities on our roads. We must use every tool at our disposal to keep New York safe. »
A study published earlier this year by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety indicated that vehicles were getting bigger as the reasons for the increase in pedestrian fatalities on American roads. The Associated Press reported earlier this year that data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration showed that in 2020, 6,519 pedestrians were killed in the United States, an increase of 59% from 2009 and 4 % compared to 2019.
During the same period, the AP reported, sales of SUVs and pickup trucks soared. In 2009, pickups, SUVs and vans accounted for 47% of all new vehicle sales in the United States, according to Motorintelligence.com. Last year, light trucks accounted for more than three-quarters of new vehicle sales. The study also found that large vehicles were more likely than cars to be involved in crashes where pedestrians were standing, walking or running near the edge of the road and away from intersections.
Hoylman’s legislation does not distinguish between large vehicle types by name, but the reference to a curb weight of 3,000 pounds would mean the safety requirement applies to vehicles larger than 2022 models of the Jeep Cherokee, Chevrolet Blazer, Ford Bronco, Nissan Xterra and Suzuki Vitara/Grand Vitara, generally known as mid-size sport utility vehicles.
“The link between these types of vehicles and some common pedestrian crashes indicates another way in which the increase in the number of SUVs on the roads could be changing the crash picture,” said Jessica Cicchino, study author and vice president of research for the institute.
The Associated Press also cited a Consumer Reports study that found that high hoods obstruct the driver’s view of pedestrians crossing in front of vehicles. The magazine and website found that the hood height of pickup trucks had increased by 11% since 2000. The hood of a 2017 Ford F-250 rugged pickup was 55 inches off the ground, as high as the roofs of some cars.
“To see over that high hood, you’re gonna look farther down the road,” Jennifer Stockburger, director of operations at Consumer Reports’ automotive test center, told the AP.
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