Electric Vehicles Put Pedestrians at Risk: Does Being Quiet Increase the Risk?
The silence of electric vehicles poses an increasing risk to pedestrians. Should new measures be taken for this problem? Here are the details!
The automotive industry continues to expand its ecosystem with technological advances. Electric vehicles have joined this ecosystem in recent years, showing an increasing trend of use and purchase. However, as with any innovation, there is a risk arising from the silence of electric vehicles.
A study in the UK found that electric cars are more likely to hit pedestrians than gasoline-powered vehicles. The study, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, showed that electric vehicles are twice as likely to hit pedestrians per kilometer.
Are Electric Vehicles a Danger to Pedestrians?
As a result of the research, traffic accident data for the years 2013-2017 were analyzed and the driving data of electric, hybrid and gasoline vehicles were compared. It was determined that electric and hybrid vehicles are no more dangerous than gasoline vehicles in rural areas, but they are three times more likely to collide with pedestrians in cities. It was emphasized that electric vehicles pose a risk especially in low-speed movements.
Pedestrian distraction related to the silence of electric vehicles and the increased risk of collisions is particularly worrying for more vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly and people with disabilities. Therefore, it is important to develop technological solutions to make electric vehicles more noticeable to pedestrians.
In conclusion, research on the increased risk of electric vehicles hitting pedestrians provides an important step towards raising awareness and improving safety measures in this area. These risks arising from the silence of electric vehicles can be reduced through technological innovations and pedestrian education.
However, with further research and collaboration, continuous efforts should be made to make the interaction of electric vehicles with pedestrians safer. In this way, both pedestrian safety and the widespread use of electric vehicles can be supported.
