Cars get safer, but not for people outside them
Deaths increase in 2018 for cyclists, pedestrians
LOS ANGELES – Cycling on picturesque Mulholland Highway through bucolic, tree-studded hills, Milt Olin probably never saw the car that killed him.
A distracted sheriff’s deputy on patrol accidentally slammed his cruiser into Olin’s bike from behind, sending him crashing into the car’s windshield. Olin died at the scene.
It’s the kind of nightmare scenario that haunts anyone who bikes or runs on public roads, and the latest government figures show the carnage is getting worse.
The number of bicyclists killed last year shot up 10%, according to estimates from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Pedestrian deaths rose 4%. The number of auto drivers and passengers killed in accidents slid for the third straight year, down 1% compared with 2017.
The cyclist and pedestrian death percentage estimates, a sharp reversal from declines the previous year, underscore a troubling trend: While cars have been getting safer for occupants, they remain potentially deadly for those outside the vehicle.
“It’s much safer for the people inside” the car, said Bill Nesper, executive director for the League of American Bicyclists, an advocacy group.
“It’s a serious thing because it’s this steady stream of bicyclists and pedestrians being killed.”
Automakers, backed by government safety regulators, have filled cars with features such as air bags and advanced child restraints to protect passengers in crashes. Improvements to protect walkers and bikers have moved more slowly.
A handful of automakers rolled out pedestrian and bicycle detection as part of their automatic braking systems, but most haven’t. When they do offer it, it’s sometimes an extra-cost option despite its potential to save lives.
One boost for the spread of pedestrian and cyclist detection technology: The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety will require automakers to have a highfunctioning pedestrian detection system as standard equipment on a model in order for it to earn the most coveted rating, Top Safety Pick Plus, starting in 2020.
The IIHS estimates automatic emergency braking will prevent 28,000 crashes and 12,000 injuries by 2025.
Volvo said its improving the detection system it introduced for pedestrians in 2010 and for bicycles in 2013. The automaker moved the sensor from the grille, where it can be blinded by snow or rain, to behind the windshield.
Automakers shelved the notion of installing air bags on the front of cars to try to protect cyclists or pedestrians in crashes, but they are exploring other ways to save bikers and walkers from serious injury or death.
Development continues on systems that would allow vehicles to electronically talk to each other in traffic, including warnings about hazards ahead such as bikers or walkers.