The government wants new pedestrian safety rules that will apply to increasingly massive SUVs and pickups

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration wants the auto industry to design new vehicles, including larger SUVs and pickup trucks, that will reduce pedestrian deaths and injuries.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Monday it is proposing new regulations that would establish testing and performance requirements intended to minimize the risk of pedestrian head injuries.

The rules would apply to all passenger vehicles weighing up to 10,000 pounds, but largely target large SUVs and pickup trucks, which have gotten larger over the years and have greater hood heights, creating blind spots for drivers.

NHTSA said pedestrian fatalities increased by 57% from 2013 to 2022, from 4,779 to 7,522. The agency said the rule would save 67 lives per year.

The proposed regulations, required by Congress in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, would establish testing procedures that simulate head-on collisions, as well as requirements to reduce the risk of head injuries. Dummies resembling human heads that simulate children and adults would be

This material was used in the tests, NHTSA said in a prepared statement.

“We have a crisis of roadway deaths, and it’s even worse for vulnerable road users like pedestrians,” NHTSA Deputy Administrator Sophie Shulman said in a statement. “This proposed rule will ensure that vehicles are designed to protect occupants inside and outside from serious injury or death.”

Messages seeking comment were sent to carmakers and the main industry body on Monday.

The Infrastructure Act required NHTSA to align U.S. regulations with global pedestrian safety principles and to focus on vehicles manufactured specifically for the U.S. market.

In August, SUVs and trucks of all sizes accounted for nearly 79% of new vehicle sales in the U.S., according to Motorintelligence.com.

Last year, an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study found that vehicles with taller, more upright front ends increase the risk to pedestrians. The insurance industry research arm found that pickups, SUVs and vans with hoods higher than 40 inches are about 45 percent more likely to be fatal in pedestrian crashes than cars and other vehicles with hoods 30 inches or less and with a sloping profile.

The authors also wondered whether the wider pillars supporting the roofs of larger vehicles make it harder for drivers to spot people passing near the corners of the vehicles.

A 2021 Consumer Reports finding found that raised vehicle hoods make it harder for drivers to see pedestrians crossing in front of them.

The magazine and website found that pickup truck hood height has increased by 11% since 2000. The hood of a 2017 Ford F-250 pickup truck sat 55 inches off the ground, the same height as the roofs of some passenger cars.

Consumer Reports said it measured the visibility of 15 new vehicles, including full-size trucks. Because of their height and long hoods, it found that the front blind spots of some trucks were 11 feet longer than those of some sedans and 7 feet longer than those of many popular SUVs.

Automakers and the public can comment on the proposal for 60 days, after which NHTSA will develop final regulations.

— Tom Krisher, Associated Press