BMJ  2005;331:967 (22 October), doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7522.967-b

Letter

Sports utility vehicles and older pedestrians

SUV driving and adaptive behaviour

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—Simms and O'Neill point out the problems posed by a particular class of private motor vehicles (sports utility vehicles, SUVs) to one group of other road users.¹ The danger posed by SUVs is simply a more extreme version of the problems posed by all motor vehicles to all other road users, not just elderly pedestrians.

The fundamental reason for a higher involvement of SUVs in pedestrian and other road user road traffic accidents is that SUV drivers feel better protected in their vehicle than in smaller motor vehicles. SUVs are frequently advertised as being "safer" than smaller vehicles and give the impression of crashworthiness to potential buyers irrespective of any advertising campaigns.

The common sense knowledge that road users adapt to their perception of danger—generally referred to as "risk compensation"² or "adaptive behaviour"—is well documented.³ Thus, the danger from SUVs comes at least partly from a tendency by . . . [Full text of this article]

Road Danger Reduction Forum, London NW10 2AS rdavis4499@aol.com

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

Relevant Article

Sports utility vehicles and older pedestrians

Ciaran Simms and Desmond O'Neill
BMJ 2005 331: 787-788. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]