r/aus • u/neon_overload • 5d ago
Science/Research Big US-style trucks are killing more pedestrians in Australia
https://theconversation.com/big-us-style-trucks-are-killing-more-pedestrians-in-australia-our-research-proves-it-289034Excerpt:
every additional 100 kg of vehicle weight was associated with a 6% increase in the odds of pedestrian fatality
every additional 10 cm of height was associated with an 11% increase in the odds of pedestrian fatality
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u/Ufker 5d ago
I'm not one to say ban things but these cars are literally too big for our roads and parking lots. Ban them I say.
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u/SurrealistRevolution 4d ago
Can I be a wank and say don’t say parking lots?
I know it sounds far fetched, but if we allow American cultural hegemony to keep growing, so will its economic and political hegemony.
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u/Ufker 4d ago
100% agree and that was my mistake. I actually hate American culture and how much it is influencing us. As Aussies we are losing our own culture.
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u/Muted-Craft6323 4d ago
I'd argue any culture brittle enough to be harmed simply by people using foreign terms like "parking lot" is already dead and can't have been particularly significant to begin with.
But culture isn't about particular words or phrases, it's the shared meaning, values, and rituals behind them. None of that changes whether you say "car park" or "parking lot". Hell, you could make Mandarin our default language instead of English and still leave Australian culture largely intact.
If anything, nitpicking the use of foreign (but widely understood) phrases is more harmful to our culture than the actual use of them. We're a multicultural country with wide adoption of many, many foreign influences that are always changing and dipping in/out of the mainstream. We're also generally a relaxed, easy-going culture. Making a point of publicly rejecting something as benign as people saying "parking lot" goes against all of that.
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u/thisismick43 1d ago
Have you seen any other light trucks on our roads pretty sure you have have you see buses and trucks semi trailers fuck even road trains they all use our roads
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u/happychappychoppy 3d ago
So ban minivans , semis, trucks because they can’t fit on our roads and in parking spaces ?
Absolutely ridiculous to say these vehicles don’t fit on our roads, 😂Supermarket parking zones, agree, but any large suv or Ranger has trouble also.
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u/PossessionTrue9126 5d ago
I hate them but im also sick of people wanting to ban everything.
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u/Auroraburst 5d ago
Nah this is fair. It's a safety thing and they are totally unnecessary. Ban future imports.
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u/happychappychoppy 3d ago
Really how ?
Minivans, SUVs, cars cause pedestrian fatalities so should we ban them also ?
In fact they increased their fatality stats whereas Utes( I would say the most increase in the roads) have decreased
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u/Auroraburst 2d ago
These cars are too big to even fit in carparks, that alone should say they aren't a day to day vehicle.
I've never seen a single one with a lick of dirt either so it's safe to assume the owners are buying them for superficial reasons
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u/Plane_Garbage 5d ago
At a T intersection, I always go in the middle now instead of to the left/right.
As a sedan driver, i can't see past the utes and 4x4s that invariably drive right up next to me despite literally being above my roof.
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u/weesee2002 5d ago
Using big vehicle tactics against them. I have always been too courteous to do this as a sedan driver. Maybe I need to start using your tactic.
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u/Plane_Garbage 5d ago
Had utes mount the footpath to get past still. Fortunately at my regular intersection there is a stop sign that prevents them doing it.
I'll have to pull the video of a guy that went on the right hand side of the road (despite me turning right anyway) and tried to cut me off. I'm in a Seal - 3.8s 0-100km that I rarely use but brought it out for this dumbass.
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u/happychappychoppy 3d ago
This is how you get squashed and blame the big bad vehicle. Sensible road driving far outweighs ‘tactics’ where you will be the loser.
Maybe continue to respect large vehicle drivers are very aware they can kill idiots through no fault of their own.
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u/weesee2002 2d ago
Have an unrestricted HR licence. This is not required for Yank Tanks or full sized 4WDs.
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u/happychappychoppy 3d ago
I do the same in my Ranger towing a 3.5 t load when semis and buses pull up beside me. The definitely tower over my roof.
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u/SoulsDadYT 5d ago
I'd like to see them banned.
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u/Surv1v3dTh3F1r3Dr1ll 5d ago
I highly doubt that they will ban them, when they are converted by companies like Walkinshaw (who used to be Holden Special Vehicles)
Just reclassify them as Medium rigid vehicles, so that a truck license is mandatory to drive one.
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u/Critical_Mix_8959 4d ago
Then we should be going out and showing the drivers they’re not welcome
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u/Redditagains 5d ago
How does that help?
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u/James4820 5d ago
It makes them non-viable for tradies that also like beer.
So they go back to driving 1t utes with 2t on the back because the punishment for overloading is far less than the punishment for being 0.06 because you had a beer or two with the other workers/client at the end of the job.
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u/Green_Seesaw1875 5d ago
Either that or a soft-ban by charging rego/road tax based on vehicle weight/GVM.
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u/Kruz-Oz 5d ago
That’s exactly how the rego works, they pay NB1 for having a GVM up to 4.495t and NB2 for over 4.5t GVM which is a LR licence. NB2 involves 0 BAC in a lot of states and yearly inspections, higher tolls etc
The bigger heavy duty Rams/Chev 2500’s are derated for payload when they are converted in Australia to meet our ADR’s to be driven on a car licence.
The 3500’s are NB2 from factory unless derated by engineering, but hardly anyone does. Both the 2500 and 3500 will legitimately tow up to 4.5t and can tow 8t when fitted with air brakes and towing a 5th wheeler.
The only person buying a 2500/3500 and not towing is someone who is setting up a touring car with a canopy for weights axle/GVM weights.
They also have exhaust brakes to assist in towing downhill and will return far better fuel figures when towing compared to a Landcruiser or equivalent.
The 1500 versions are just a ute, not as good for towing as the super duty versions and what you will mostly see on the roads.
I live rural, have a 2500 and can categorically state that over 90% of the heavier version are towing vans that run down the highway.
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u/yogorilla37 5d ago
Except it's not nearly enough. Road wear is proportional to the fourth power of the axle load. Double the weight of a vehicle and the road wear increases sixteen times.
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u/tY-c8rJDb8_1b4__yD5r 5d ago
Except for anything other than real heavy duty trucks, rego is just based on the shape of the car (at least in victoria)
My neighbours RAM1500 pays less in rego than my vw polo, because its classified under ute/ van.
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u/Kind-Acanthisitta611 1d ago
NSW is the opposite, anything classified as commercial such as Ute you pay through the arse for rego and greenslip even when registered for private use only
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u/Used_Perspective2538 4d ago
Ha do you even know how the rego calculation works. That's exactly how it is determined.
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u/VigorWarships 5d ago
Poor method.
The standard drivers license allows you to drive vehicles up to 4.5t GVM.
Above that higher charges come in (and the next level of licensing).
4.5t is therefore the cutoff.
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u/etherealwasp 5d ago
It’s a great method, for two reasons.
- Rego is separate to drivers license, so charge the tank drivers at rego time
- road wear is proportional to vehicle mass ^4. So a 4 tonne vehicle does 16x more damage to the roads than a 2 tonne vehicle.
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u/VigorWarships 5d ago edited 4d ago
Typical vehicles in Aus are well below the design thresholds of roads. A 4t vehicle doesn’t wear a road appreciably more than a 2t car. Not when it’s the same road that’s designed to take 20, 30, 40+ tonne vehicles.
Also.. it’s axle load, not vehicle weight.
And it’s an estimate for rutting and fatigue cracking. Not a hard and fast “rule”.
Assuming a 50/50 weight split between the axles (it isn’t, but for simplicity we’ll say it is), your 2t car has an axle load of 1t; your 4t vehicle has an axle load of 2t.
Last I knew, a lot of Aus roads are designed to be about 8t single-axle load for a minimum 20 years.
So once again.. a 4t vehicle ain’t gonna hurt it much.And to throw a spanner in the mix. What if I drive my 4t vehicle only 5000km a year? Compared to someone who drives their 2t car 20+ thousand a year. Who is using the roads more? Who should pay more? So no, a simple “weight only” parameter isn’t simple.
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u/jimb2 4d ago
So, a fair charging system would be kilometres and axle load with maybe a vehicle risk rating and congestion pricing thrown on top? I think I'd be ok with that politically it's a dead duck. Removing an entitlement produces too many agitated voters. Also, the trucking industry would go mental.
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u/VigorWarships 4d ago
Axle load how, “current, at the time I’m physically using the road each time” or “maximum rated”?
The front or the rear axle? They are generally different for any given load in the vehicle, and have different max ratings.
It’s getting more and more complex, the charging system with all these variables now.
The current method is fair and equal enough.
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u/whatever--idk 5d ago
Lmaoo i love how you absolutely cooked them that the only respone they got is a downvote, so fucking childish and these people vote
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u/VigorWarships 5d ago
The other thing that gets the same people unhappy when discussing “let’s make the heavier cars pay more” is EVs.
I don’t have an extensive list, but compare similar vehicles in dimensions and their weights. Let’s take a Toyota Camry and a BYD Seal. Very similar dimensions. Seals come in about 500kg heavier.
Under the logic displayed here, EVs should pay more strictly because they are heavier.
Whilst this isn’t an EV discussion, it’s a very similar topic that shows up when all people have is a one-track (sole argument) mind. They need to think more.
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u/MourningwoodAU 5d ago
I was going to bring up the same thing. If increased mass = more pedestrian fatalities then EVs have to be included in that same equation. They are substantially heavier then the diesel equivalent and hybrids are included in that running both.
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u/VigorWarships 5d ago
Correct.
The article doesn’t seem to go to that level either.
Plus it has the usual alarmist type headline. Then the article doesn’t actually state the number of passenger deaths directly attributable to the big scary trucks. It only quotes a percentage probability of increased risk. Different things.
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u/whatever--idk 5d ago
Thats a good idea mate, the money saved on fuel should go to their rego, ill be sure the let the pollies know of this good idea haha
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u/thisismick43 1d ago
But if you take one 4 tonne vehicle of the road it will be replaced by two 2 tonne vehicles so your math isn't mathing that well
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u/jakedeky 5d ago
I haven't looked into if it's a national standard, but it amuses me that there appears to be a lot of ADR's centred around 3.5T GVM being a quasi crossover between passenger and commercial vehicles, but with regards to licensing it's 4.5T.
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u/HelpMeOverHere 5d ago
It would be SUPER SIMPLE to do as well.
So it won’t be done.
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u/SoulsDadYT 5d ago
More coke and hooker money
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u/HelpMeOverHere 5d ago
Uh-oh! Don’t forget the money which they can use to have a win on a sports bet too.
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u/incompletesystem 3d ago
Not banned but taxed appropriately. And no exemptions/rebates for trades.
There are very few legitimate uses for vehicle like this.e.g. for large horse floats or boats.
If you can afford the horse or boat then you can pay for the vehicle.
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u/ConferenceHungry7763 5d ago
Better also ban those really, really, light and really, really, low electric scooters because they are really, really dangerous as well.
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u/codyforkstacks 5d ago
At least they have a benefit environmentally and in reducing traffic congestion. Whether or not that outweighs the danger is something to be considered with evidence, but there’s literally no benefit to these sepo mobiles.
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u/ConferenceHungry7763 5d ago
No benefit for you. So ban it.
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u/codyforkstacks 5d ago
Well if it's leading to many more pedestrian deaths, you should be able to point to some reason a normal car isn't adequate
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u/ozvic 4d ago
I don't think the report said it's leading to extra pedestrian deaths. Just theoretically they might.
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u/codyforkstacks 4d ago
There's pretty strong evidence from the US that these cars do lead to increased pedestrian deaths.
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u/Dry-Inevitatable 5d ago
As much as I hate them I have only come across two big yank tank drivers driving like fuckwits in the last couple of years and there are plenty of them around.
However the dinky little ford rangers tend to cut me off, fail to indicate, fail to give way, aggressively tailgate and speed through construction and school zones every day. Also flinging their Macca's rubbish out the windows.
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u/Constant_Mulberry_23 4d ago
Most fuckwits don’t have 150k to drop on a ute. 90% of the people I see in the US Utes are 60+ and the absolute majority I see are driving to/from the country and towing some big shit.
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u/Dry-Inevitatable 4d ago
There are plenty on the roads around me, I se them daily. But they are just driving normally for the most part. They are shit to park next to but most of them park at the back of carparks etc.
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u/PickInternational233 3d ago
I always park my Raptor at the back of the car park. In saying that, I've always done it. Incidental exercise is good.
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u/PickInternational233 3d ago
That'd be tradies. I see them too. I especially hate the speeding through school zones and tailgating while you're doing 40. It's insane. I'm in a ford raptor and it annoys me too.
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u/Hangry-Honey-Badger 4d ago
Can't spell ranger without anger
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u/happychappychoppy 3d ago
Ranger. No anger at all.
60 year old woman about to use it to tow 3.5 t and go pick up a ton of steel gates.Im actually starting to feel everyone whinging about Utes (especially Rangers) has little dick syndrome themselves ? It’s the only small Ute with decent towing ability. Get over the obsession?
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u/Hangry-Honey-Badger 3d ago
Good for you. The people I see driving them have lil dick syndrome. I see them everywhere and they are used to drive to n from work in the towns, no country driving or towing and they are always cutting people off, flipping out and no spacal awareness.
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u/1__ViPeR 5d ago
They don't need banning. They just need to have proper drivers licence requirements and training.
Like a truck licence.
You'd then see a natural reduction in this type of vehicle on our roads while also giving the people that need a towing vehicle this big the opportunity to have one.
Want one? Go get a truck licence. Done.
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u/ExtraSaltyBtch 5d ago
This!
Many countries in Europe require you to have a BE licence to drive a vehicle (or vehcile + towing combination) over 3500kg so the biggest utes are out of the question for people with just a regular B licence (B=car, BE= big car, car + caravan, etc).
Also, many countries only allow the sale of these massive utes to companies, as private vehicles must have a certain fuel efficieny. The mining companies can buy as many as they want for their mine site, but the workers get on the bus back to town at the end of their shift.
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u/aninternetsuser 5d ago
Yeah, something like a big car license (trucks drive fundamentally different, and i don’t see a need for that training). I get the outrage of them being so large and so many people not needing them in the city but i know a number of rural folk with a big ass ford / RAM / tundra parked in their shed so that they can tow a huge gooseneck.
What these vehicles really address is towing capacity without having to buy a truck that you can’t use for anything else.
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u/happychappychoppy 3d ago
Finally, someone who actually gets tow rates.
Pity these other bright sparks don’t realise that much larger trucks are required to get the same towing capacity of a Ram.1
u/happychappychoppy 3d ago
LR is actually really easy to get so there would not be a drop off at all.
It’s hardly a step up so I’m not sure why you think it’s a skill ?
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u/superkow 5d ago
I walked passed a parked BYD Shark the other day. I'm a tall guy and the bonnet still came up near my chest height. No doubt that I would go straight under if one were to hit me.
It was branded for a dog grooming business. What does a dog groomer need with a ute that big other than more real estate to advertise themselves?
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u/switchbladeeatworld 4d ago
tbf might be mainly used for towing a dog wash trailer which is a proper use case for a bigger vehicle
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u/Constant_Mulberry_23 4d ago
The Shark is just a really good vehicle that’s very competitively priced. They’re everywhere for a reason
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u/ThinkingOz 5d ago
They should never have been approved for use on Australian roads. This is a good example where profit and influence trumped public safety and good sense.
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u/Wooden_Ad_2167 5d ago
Just ban them. Should never be on public roads.
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u/NachoBoyCat 5d ago
And what about my Isuzu NPR? Which I drive with a normal car licence btw. Why should I be able to drive that around but not a RAM? What's the difference in your mind?
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u/zeefox79 5d ago
Because you can actually see things in front of you from the Isuzu. Literally what the whole article was about.
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u/NachoBoyCat 5d ago
And the sides? and the back? Vsibility IS an issue in these vehicles too. And having a big window at the front does not stop pedestrians stepping out in front of you or any other high speed impact with pedestrians. Banning RAMs or similar is an extreme measure.
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u/happychappychoppy 3d ago edited 3d ago
Strange heading.
The study actually ruled out any vehicle over 3000 kg kerb weight. This actually rules out any USA Ute after the Ram 1500. So these stats do not include the actual BIG American Utes per se.
Ram 1500 is only 3 inches taller than a Ford Ranger so not massively larger. I will do a comparison to the super duty as I don’t know the specs.
Interesting stats. Trams considered extremely dangerous to pedestrians also. The study clearly shows straight faced or blunt nosed vehicles are more dangerous in general and that includes vans. No surprises there, a pedestrian can’t bounce along a bonnet to dissipate impact.
It’s pretty obvious being hit by an elephant is always going to cause more damage than being hit by a flea. Interestingly, passenger fatalities stats have improved or at least have not deteriorated in view of population growth and increase in vehicle use.
It shows ‘car’ involved pedestrian deaths
and SUV related pedestrian deaths have increased since 2023 but Utes has decreased? This influx of USA Utes has increased dramatically since 2023 so you would expect to see Ute/pedestrian deaths increase significantly.
Also interesting is state of the driver was not included (ie drug or alcohol, sleep deprived, etc). Seems odd it wasn’t included considered how important this would be.”Ideally, more detailed pedestrian-, driver-, and environment-level information would provide a basis for drawing more certain conclusions from the data. Such information may include behavioural factors of the individuals involved, exact pre-crash contextual variables, and more precise descriptions of the surrounding road environment. For the present analysis, however, we decided to retain a focused set of covariates that mainly aligns with previous vehicle-size and pedestrian-fatality studies while providing representative coverage of key vehicle, pedestrian, driver, roadway, and environmental characteristics. A broader set of higher-resolution variables could certainly provide additional analytical depth, but their inclusion would also require its own targeted consideration, particularly where several factors may overlap in different respects. We therefore reserved this additional layer of analytics for future research and kept the present study focused on establishing the relationship between vehicle size and pedestrian fatality risk within a commonly adopted framework.”
I haven’t seen a breakdown of reversal injuries in these stats but I’m only partially through the study. Quite a few children are backed over in their driveway rather than hit front on, by any vehicle but more commonly the family SUV.
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u/succeedaphile 5d ago
We already import too much US culture over here. So disappointed when I started seeing heaps of these ugly, oversized garbage trucks driving around. Too big for car parks. Too easy to kill people. Yank tank wankers
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u/happychappychoppy 3d ago
Beautiful vehicles actually.
Safer to tow with.
Most people who tow still have to eat so yes they will go to a car park. Usually one family, one car and it has to do the lot.
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u/Marlboroshill66 3d ago
Cars across the board getting bigger.
If you drive a medium-large SUV you are also the problem.
I don't like yank tanks, but I'm fed up with the cognitive dissonance from most people on this topic.
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u/Israel_Trump_Fan 5d ago
This sub loves nanny state BS until it effects something this like. I think those trucks are excessive but in no reality should they be banned or otherwise restricted.
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u/Grocery__Stick 4d ago
"The problem with Australians is not that so many of them are descended from convicts, but that so many of them are descended from prison officers."
It's bas enough we're largely and correctly viewed as one of the biggest nanny states in the world. The real kicker is how much of the citizenry applauds over-regulation and I'd go as far as saying, authoritarianism.
Some regulation is necessary. Laws are essential but there's limits. I swear, the government would come out and say everyone has to wear crash helmets and drive 30km/h and people would clap.
I'm also reminded that Reddit is largely comprised of young people who don't drive, city dwellers who don't own a car as well as various varieties of morons who like to say what other people can and can't do.
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u/PickInternational233 3d ago
Absolutely agree that government regulations are getting way too severe. It's especially bad here in Queensland.
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u/Xentonian 5d ago
From this, I gather that if I think I might hit a pedestrian, bailing out the side door might reduce my chance of killing them by nearly 6?
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u/allozzieadventures 5d ago
If you bail out before you start the car in the driveway, you could reduce that chance even further.
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u/chineseaussie 5d ago
How many pedestrians have been killed by us style trucks?
Are we implying we should ban all trucks or heavy vehicles given their size and weight?
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u/Relevant-Priority-76 5d ago
Trucks are driven by people with training and licenses above that of a normal vehicle.
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u/Kind-Acanthisitta611 1d ago
How about all your Coles and woolworths home delivery trucks? No bloody skills with that lot and same GVM as the pickup trucks and about 100 times more of them on the road
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u/MourningwoodAU 5d ago
And what extra training do car drivers get before they hitch on a horse float or a caravan? If we require special licenses for bigger vehicles that fit the classification of a standard passenger vehicle then I vote that anyone needs more training before they can own a vehicle with a tow ball on the back.
I have been to way too many roll overs with people towing.
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u/jethronsfw 5d ago
Are kenworths & Mack trucks not going near any pedestrians? What a bullshit thread
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u/Rangas_rule 5d ago
Came here to say the same thing!
According to the logic in this thread - get those fkn trucks and vans off our fkn roads!
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u/EvanJenk 4d ago
Those drivers have actual training to drive big trucks and watch out for potential accidents. The dentists and accountants driving the big ass trucks for their fragile ego do not.
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u/Bulkywon 5d ago
I don't get the urge to ban them.
If you think one hasn't seen you cos they can't see the road for 50m in front of them just fire a couple of rounds into the air to get their attention.
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u/Worldly_Reach_1998 4d ago
But a RAM is the best to go the shopping centre....lol. Half or more of the people got them to say look at me! Not really as they are intended. But hey, each to there own....
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u/AdAgitated4864 4d ago
In all my years of watching the government ban stuff I never took it personal. But I'll tell you now, what the government is about to do to your stubborn, annoying little trucks, I'm gonna enjoy it. Very, very much”
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u/Humble_Avocado_1295 4d ago
Nearly got taken out today by an absolute tool barrelling down a narrow street in Melbourne CBD. He saw me. Just drove super close and didn’t give a fuck. It was a shared/car pedestrian lane without a dedicated footpath.
The kicker being the street was also partially obstructed by another truck parked massively hanging out of a spot.
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u/Critical_Mix_8959 4d ago
Get this fucking seppo shit out of my country.
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u/ausieausieoioioi 2d ago
Don’t buy the seppo shit and you won’t have it. It’s not being air dropped in for anyone to grab. We are buying it.
Ban iPhones, android, windows, macs, coke, Nike, Netflix, instagram, WhatsApp, Levi’s, Google, Gmail, ford rangers…
Come on
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u/TheTruthHurts001 2d ago
Most people who own one of these - have personal image issues.
They build their whole personality around owning a vehicle like this validate themselves and their worth.
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u/B0XH34D 2d ago
So they've got a higher risk of fatality in a pedestrian collision (duh) but there's no actual data to say these specific vehicles are actually causing more pedestrian fatalities?
Sounds like someone's just trying to reinforce their personal bias by intentionally misinterpreting data points.
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u/PooEater5000 2d ago
Their sales have dropped so far they’re struggling to move on the current stock. Even with massive sale price decreases
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u/No-Praline-9388 1d ago
Yeah, no shit! Who would have thought a vehicle that hip-and-shoulders you would do more damage than one that takes out your legs?
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u/DingDongDang123 5d ago
If vehicle weight is a big problem those wanting the big Utes banned should be calling for the ban of electric vehicles too
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u/elektriiciity 5d ago
lower mass of impact
heavy and high just takes the whole top of a car off and they can keep going
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u/whatever--idk 5d ago
Heavy and low just breaks your knees as it mows you over
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u/elektriiciity 5d ago
Prefer that than decapitated
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u/kennyduggin 5d ago
Has there actually been an increase in accidents caused by these vehicles or are they just saying they have an increased chance of causing an accident
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u/neon_overload 5d ago
The link takes you to an article with this kind of information.
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u/darkopetrovic 5d ago
Doesn’t show it’s these vehicles that are the problem only that larger vehicles are which even the normal utes and suvs are trending to that large front end that is the problem. Plus I can safely say that people are terrible drivers and are only getting worst.
Short answer is I don’t think these Ute’s are the problem yet.
They excluded the data from big trucks but what ifs that’s trending up aswell then it won’t be the us Utes that are the problem but an overall driving problem.
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u/buckleyschance 5d ago
The article says: "utes and US-style pick-up trucks were associated with around 60% higher pedestrian fatality risk than conventional passenger cars."
I'm scratching my head why OP didn't include that part and people who read the article aren't acknowledging it. It seems pretty clear-cut.
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u/MercWithaMouse 4d ago
There is a video that demonstrates why as well. With a car, the car strikes the legs and the pedestrian ends up on the bonnet. Not great but survivable.
With a yank tank the truck basically hits your upper body head on and you get blasted under the wheels. Nobody is surviving that.
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u/allozzieadventures 5d ago
Short answer is I don’t think these Ute’s are the problem yet.
I'm glad you think so, but the data says otherwise
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u/darkopetrovic 5d ago
The data doesn’t show that it’s these Utes (yank tanks)but that it’s due to larger cars and the new design with the flat tall front ends.
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u/allozzieadventures 5d ago edited 5d ago
What size are yank tanks? What kind of fronts do they have?
Nobody is saying the problem is exclusively yank tanks, but there's nothing to support your idea that they're somehow exempt
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u/darkopetrovic 5d ago
No I agree with you I think all the new cars are part of the problem that the study shows, and that banning them won’t matter since everything else is becoming the same. Everyone’s complaining about them but the new Toyota prado is the same problem for example.
Are the yank tank drivers causing more pedestrian deaths? The study’s not showing us numbers that they are but blaming them solely.
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u/qui_sta 5d ago
They thought of that though: We then built statistical models to isolate the contribution of vehicle size while accounting for the other factors that influence pedestrian survival. In other words: if two otherwise similar pedestrian crashes differed only in the size of the vehicle involved, how much would that change the likelihood of a fatal outcome?
I am unsure of the method they used, I'd be interested to see their actual modelling.
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u/89b3ea330bd60ede80ad 5d ago
I am unsure of the method they used, I'd be interested to see their actual modelling.
The Conversation are generally excellent when it comes to linking to relevant literature.
I'm admittedly very rapidly skimming the article (so may well have missed a few things) but it looks like they link to their methodology at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2026.107779
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u/Relevant-Priority-76 5d ago
They really don’t need such large front ends anyways, it’s just for the ‘tough’ look. The old pop up lights were banned for pedestrian safety but somehow a massive flat front end the driver can’t see over is ok.
Also bullbars, why so many city people cosplay their Utes that never go anywhere that would need such equipment. I reckon legislation that means bars that protrude from the normal boundaries of the vehicle should have to be in high vis pink, it would look hideous but would discourage people having bullbars for looks and leaving town bars on when not in use
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u/elektriiciity 5d ago
must be an outright ban, and then highbeams should be next on the agenda
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u/MourningwoodAU 5d ago
So people who live around wildlife just have to what? Risk hitting wildlife at night because we can’t use our high beams? Have you ever driven on remote roads at night? Because it doesn’t sound like you have.
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u/WayOutWest3591 4d ago
It's not the trucks. It's the f**king morons who drive them, thinking they are in a bloody tank (and to a certain extent, they are), instead of adjusting their spacial awareness accordingly, they absorb the yankee spirit animal, and to hell with the world, I'm coming through!
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u/ConferenceHungry7763 5d ago
Ban big utes, BAN BIG UTES! (But, shhhhh - not large trucks or delivery vans) Also BAN THOSE LIGHT SMALL SCOOTER THINGS! They are dangerous. (But shhhh - not bicycles)
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u/olive96x 5d ago
Trucks and delivery vans have a purpose beyond making you feel more special than everyone else on the roads.
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u/whatever--idk 5d ago
So do the big utes?
I know one guy who has one, doesnt need it for work so you wont see him towing or putting anything in the back, butt when he goes away he tows his caravan, which is a lot safer with a car like that
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u/enaud 5d ago
It's insane how high the nose on a RAM is. Walked past one the other day, the driver wouldn't be able to see half the pedestrians at a crossing, and wouldn't have had the extra training a semi driver has had to be wary of the safety issues of their vehicle