The takeaway: As electric cars are much quieter and usually a lot heavier than their gas-powered counterparts, there have long been concerns about the danger they pose to pedestrians. According to a new study, however, EVs are no more dangerous to those on foot than conventional vehicles. SUVs, on the other hand, present a big risk.
A study by the University of Leeds in the UK looked at British government road safety data from 2014 to 2023. Zia Wadud, Professor of Mobility and Energy Futures, and colleagues wanted to examine if EVs collided with pedestrians more often because of their quietness, and whether their extra weight resulted in more severe injuries.
The study compared casualty rate ratios for EVs, HEVs and ICEVs during 2019-2023. 2019 was when EV sales started to grow rapidly and the year the Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System, which warns other road users during low-speed driving, was introduced.
The conclusion showed that the fears were unfounded: pedestrians are no more likely to be hit or severely injured by an EV than an internal combustion engine vehicle.
Accident rates between electric (57.82) and petrol vehicles (58.88) were virtually identical. And while EVs are heavier, they were no more likely to cause severe injuries in cases of collisions. This is likely due to their advanced safety features that help avoid crashes or negate the damage they cause.
Interestingly, hybrid vehicles were found to have a higher pedestrian casualty rate – possibly related to their typical driving pattern – but the associated pedestrian injuries are less severe than those caused by internal-combustion-engine vehicles.
While the report highlights the safety aspects of EVs, there is one type of vehicle it points out is far from safe for pedestrians: SUVs. It notes that collisions with SUVs increase the likelihood of a serious or fatal pedestrian injury.
There is an abundance of evidence on SUVs and large vehicles' adverse impact on road safety because of their heavier weight and (for SUVs) their body shape, states the report. This is especially true for older SUVs that have lower safety standards.
"We should worry less about the potential dangers of electrified vehicles and more about the growing prevalence of SUVs," said Professor Wadud.
Other findings include female drivers being less likely to cause severe pedestrian injuries, but younger drivers tending to have the opposite effect.
The Leeds study's findings contrast with a similar study last year from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. It concluded that pedestrians are twice as likely to be injured by an electric or hybrid car than by one with an internal combustion engine due to them being less audible.
EVs aren't more dangerous to pedestrians, but SUVs are, study finds
